A Patient Who Is Intubated Has Periods of Lucidity Mixed

question 5

Multiple Choice

A patient who is intubated has periods of lucidity mixed with periods of confusion or stupor. During one lucid episode, the patient wrote, "take this tube out and let me die." Which of the following should the nurse do?

• A) Determine that the patient is experiencing side effects of medications and ignore the request
• B) Determine that the patient is unable to make decisions because of being intubated
• C) Realize that the patient has a mental disability
• D) Inform the physician of the patient's comment

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Definitions:

Fascinated

Intensely interested or attracted by something or someone, often leading to focused attention or admiration.

Flush

The act of cleansing something (such as a toilet) by causing a large flow of water to pass through it, or a sudden reddening of the face typically caused by emotions or heat.

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be observed, seen, or heard, which typically develops in infancy.

Infant Amnesia

The phenomenon where most people are unable to recall personal experiences from their early childhood, typically before age 3 or 4.