A patient is being treated with a heparin infusion for a pulmonary embolism. The nurse checks the patient's PTT, and the result is 60 seconds with a control of 30 seconds. What is the appropriate nursing action?
Explanation
• The correct answer is to administer the next dose as scheduled because the result indicates an expected response to the treatment.
• Heparin infusions require close monitoring of the patient's partial thromboplastin time (PTT).
• The goal is a PTT of 1.5-2.5 times the control.
• In the example, the result is 60 seconds with a control of 30 seconds. This reflects an appropriate response to treatment; therefore, the infusion should not be stopped, protamine sulfate (heparin reversal medication) does not need to be administered, and the physician does not need to be notified.