The Spouse of a Terminally Ill Patient Asks Why Antibiotics

question 12

Multiple Choice

The spouse of a terminally ill patient asks why antibiotics are being prescribed for an infection when the patient is going to die anyway. How should the nurse respond?

• A) "The infection could cause discomfort."
• B) "The antibiotics will add days to the patient's life."
• C) "Permitting the patient to die is a form of assisted suicide."
• D) "I'll ask the physician why the medication was prescribed."

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Definitions:

Functional Imaging

A set of imaging procedures used to observe metabolic processes and other physiological activities in the brain or body, often as an aid in diagnosing diseases.

Sensory Stimuli

Refers to any object or environment that induces responses in the senses, leading to perception.

Neurons

Specialized cells in the nervous system that transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells through electrical and chemical signals.

Brain

The organ in the human body and the center of the nervous system, responsible for processing sensory information, regulating bodily functions, and enabling thought, memory, and emotion.