Clark Austin is a 75-year-old retired engineer who lives withhis wife Ann. He is admitted to your hospital with acutecholecysitis. He has undergone a cholecystectomy and has beentransferred to your floor the second day postop. He has anasogastric (NG) tube to continuous low wall suction, a Foleycatheter in place, one peripheral IV, a large abdominal dressing, ahistory of emphysema. In addition, he is on O2 2L/min per NC andreceives a continuous pulse oximetry monitoring. His ordersinclude: D51/2NS with 20 mEq KCI/L at 125 cc/hr. Morphine 5 mg IVq2hr prn, turn, cough, and deep breathe q2h, incentive spirometer q2h while awake.
This morning, when you enter his room, Mr. Austin appears quiteanxious and coughs a lot. He complains of shortness of breath andpain in his chest and his incision site. He states, \"I feel hot,and I am extremely tired.\"
Your assessment reveals the following: His respiration islabored and shallow with the use of accessory muscles of the neckand abdomen. VS: 142/80, P 120, R 26, T 103.4, 02 sat 88% on O2 at2L/min per NC. There are scattered crackles throughout the rightlung fields and LUL, rhonchi over large airways, and breath soundsare diminished from fourth intercostal space to the base on theleft side. His IV is running at the prescribed rate and there areno signs of infection of the IV site. His pain level is 5 on ascale of 1-10. The physician prescribes the following order afteryou called him or her immediately after your assessment: continueIV of D51/2NS with 20 mEq KCL/L at 125 cc/hr; STAT blood cultureand sensitivity (C&S) sputum C & S; STAT chest x-ray (CXR)and ECG; Ampicillin/Sulbactam (Unasyn) 1.5 g IVPB q6h; andAcetaminophen 650 mg po for temp over 102 F.
1. Why does the physician order a culture and sensitivity test?How are the results being used?
