Problem: A gunshot victim is en route to the ED by ambulance. You will be the client's admitting nurse. At present, you have minimal information about the client. The paramedics report that the bleeding is controlled, and the client is alert. It is currently unclear how much blood loss has been sustained. Vital signs include temperature 97.0 F oral, pulse 92 bpm, respirations 22/min, and BP 105/75 mmHg. The ambulance ETC is 5 minutes.
Q1. How would severe blood loss affect the client's blood pressure?
Q2. What are the primary nursing considerations for this client?
Q3. Consider your perceptions of this client knowing only that this individual is a gunshot victim. What is your initial response?
Q4. How would your preceptions change if the client is a victim of intimate partner violence? A criminal assailant? Someone who was injured while protecting another individual from harm?
Q5. Describe the symptoms of severe blood loss and shock. Describe the nursing interventions for a client who presents with severe blood loss.