Answer:
Option C, schedule for a STAT computed tomography scan (CT) of the head
Explanation:
Unilateral numbness and weakness alongside slurred speech are both common symptoms that indicate a patient may be experiencing a stroke. Another symptom that may accompany these two is unilateral facial drooping or facial paralysis on one side.
The two main types of strokes are ischemic and hemorrhagic. In ischemic strokes, a blood clot has formed within the cerebral arteries thereby blocking blood flow and, thus, oxygen supply to the cerebral tissues, leading to ischemia in the affected areas being blocked off and possibly progressing to infarct. In hemorrhagic strokes, a rupture in the cerebral arteries causes blood to flow out of the vasculature, reducing oxygen supply to the cerebral tissues while also potentially pooling and increasing the pressure exerted upon the brain within the confined spaces of the cranium.
The priority nursing intervention for a patient experiencing a stroke is to procure imaging of the patient's brain to determine which type of stroke the patient is experiencing. This would be done by scheduling a STAT computed tomography (CT) scan of the patient's head. Understanding which type of stroke the patient has suffered will then decide the treatment that will follow such as the administration of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) medications like alteplase.
Thus, the first nursing intervention as a priority is option C.
