Question

1. You are getting ready to administer atropine sulfate and arn opioid, ordered as standard preoperative medications, to a 75- year-old woman who will be undergoing minor surgery. When you check her medical history, you see that she has a history of smoking and has angle-closure glaucoma. What is your priority action currently regarding administration of the preoperative medications? Explain your answer. 2. In preparing a patient for emergency surgery, the order was to give 0.5 mg of atropine sulfate to the patient intravenously. The vial concentration is 1 mg/mL. In the haste of this emergency, 5 mL of the atropine solution is given. How much atropine did the patient receive? What is the nurse's priority action currently?

Answer 1

1. The priority action to be taken regarding administration of the preoperative medication is about the atropine sulfate medicine . The nurse should consult the physician and get double check whether to give atropine sulfate or not because atropine sulfate is contraindicated in patients with angle closure glucoma because it completely obstructs the outflow of aqueous humour and causes increased intra ocular pressure.

2. The ordered dose of atropine is 0.5 mg

Available vial of atropine is 1 mg/ml

In the haste of emergency ,the patient was administered 5ml of atropine instead of 0.5 mg

1mg of atropine was present in 1ml

If 5ml is given to the patient in haste ,then the patient has received 5mg of atropine .

The nurse's priority action currently is to inform the physician about the error in dosage occurred and take actions to prevent complications caused by increased dose of atropine administration .