Question

1. The camp nurse has been called to the field outside the recreation centre. As the nurse arrives, a large crowd begins to separate. The nurse notes that one of the campers is lying on the ground, and the camper’s arms and legs are thrashing back and forth. The nurse also notes a small cut above the camper’s right eye. The nurse recognizes the camper because she visits the nurse every day for medication administration, and the nurse remembers that the medication the camper takes is carbamazepine (Tegretol). As the nurse moves closer, she also sees two of the counsellors preparing to attempt to restrain the camper.

a. What should be the nurse’s initial response?

Answer:  

Rationale:

b. The camper is transferred to a local emergency department, where she is stabilized. A blood level of carbamazepine is drawn, and the result is 1.2 mcg/L. How will the nurse interpret this finding?

Answer:  

Rationale:

Answer 1

A) The initial nurse response is not to restrain the patient as he is having seizures . A patient in seizure should not be restrained as it causes further damage to the patient. Patient in seizure should be be protected from fall and other injuries ,we should not do tongue swings to avoid aspiration ,avoid crowd for easy respiration . After seizure attack, oxygen administration , anti-seizure drugs , suctioning if necessary should be provided to the patient .

B) The normal serum carbamazapine level is 4-12mcg/ L. The patients carbamazapine level is 1.2mcg/L which is below normal range and it was the case for seizure attack.