Which prescription for a client diagnosed with acute heart failure should the nurse question?

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Multiple Choice

Which prescription for a client diagnosed with acute heart failure should the nurse question?

In acute heart failure, the priority is to reduce fluid overload and preload to relieve congestion and improve oxygenation. Starting an IV infusion of normal saline at 125 mL/hr would add volume to an already congested circulation, potentially worsening pulmonary edema and respiratory distress. Because this order increases intravascular volume when the patient is typically volume overloaded, it should be questioned. The other orders align more with managing congestion and reducing fluid retention: a low-sodium diet helps limit fluid buildup; giving furosemide IV push promotes diuresis to remove excess fluid; while digoxin dosing needs careful assessment, its use is not inherently contradictory to acute heart failure management and would be evaluated for appropriateness and safety rather than as the primary volume-status concern.

In acute heart failure, the priority is to reduce fluid overload and preload to relieve congestion and improve oxygenation. Starting an IV infusion of normal saline at 125 mL/hr would add volume to an already congested circulation, potentially worsening pulmonary edema and respiratory distress. Because this order increases intravascular volume when the patient is typically volume overloaded, it should be questioned.

The other orders align more with managing congestion and reducing fluid retention: a low-sodium diet helps limit fluid buildup; giving furosemide IV push promotes diuresis to remove excess fluid; while digoxin dosing needs careful assessment, its use is not inherently contradictory to acute heart failure management and would be evaluated for appropriateness and safety rather than as the primary volume-status concern.

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