A Patient Has Been Admitted After an Accident at Work

question 34

Multiple Choice

A patient has been admitted after an accident at work. During the assessment, the patient is having trouble hearing and states, "I don't know what is the matter. All of a sudden I can't hear you out of my left ear!" What should the nurse do next?

• A) Irrigate the ear with rubbing alcohol.
• B) Notify the patient's health care provider.
• C) Prepare to remove cerumen from the patient's ear.
• D) Make note of this finding for the report to the next shift.

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Definitions:

Local Potentials

Electrical changes in neurons that are confined to a small region, serving as the initial response to stimuli, potentially leading to action potentials.

Membrane Potential

The voltage difference across a cell's plasma membrane due to the differential distribution of ions.

Hyperpolarized

Hyperpolarized refers to a state where a cell's membrane potential is more negative than its normal resting potential, often making the cell less active.

Stimulus Strength

The magnitude or intensity of a stimulus that influences the degree of response of a biological system.