Scenario One
A 32-year-old male athlete who
had been participating in a local
marathon was brought to the emergency
department confused and
lethargic. His vital signs on arrival
were:temperature 103.5 o
F (39.6 o
C),
heart rate (HR) 106,respirations (RR)
24. The patient was diagnosed with
heat exhaustion. The emergency
department nurse removed the
patient’s clothing and applied cool,
moist sheets and ice packs to his
groin and axilla.The emergency room
physician wrote orders to initiate an
intravenous (IV) infusion of chilled
Lactated Ringer’s (LR) at 100
mL/hour, administer 2 L oxygen (O2
)
via nasal cannula, monitor heart rate,
track urine output (UO) via an
indwelling catheter, and observe neurological
status