Question

As treatment for hypertensive crisis, a patient has received sodium nitroprusside for three days. the nurse recognizes that it is important to assess the patient's thiocyanate levels for what reason?

Answer 1

It is important that the patient be assessed of thiocyanate levels because nitroprusside can harm the patient in three major ways namely: direct vasodilation that ends in dysrhythmias and hypotension; poisoning that result in nausea, altered mental condition and stomach pains; and may even result in respiratory arrest, coma or metabolic acidosis.