Temporal artery biopsy refers to the primary modality often used in diagnosing giant cell arteritis. This form of arteritis is a chronic vasculitis that majorly affects the large and medium sized diameter arteries (Greenberg, 2010). This condition is mostly in older patients and affects aortic arch vessels including its branches, that is, the external carotid artery. It usually a recommended procedure to patients older than 50 years that present with a raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate, including a lateral persistent headache.
Pre-operative preparation of the patient by the nurse involves taking a proper history regarding the condition (Greenberg, 2010). In addition, proper diet has to be instituted including a preoperational dose of antibiotics has to be provided as a prophylaxis towards intraoperative infections (Norton, 2006).
During the operation to get the biopsy, the nurse should have selected the site which the biopsy is going to be extracted and shaved the person at that point if there is going to be any blockade (Norton, 2006). The skin site is always prepared by use of antiseptic technique some minutes before the procedure. The nurse then ensures that the right equipment and collection tools are available for the process.
In the operation, the nurse has to ensure that a local anaesthesia is given to the site so as to reduce the pain involved in the procedure. Using a biopsy technique, the biopsy of the temporal artery is extracted and stored and taken to the laboratory for processing (Greenberg, 2010).
Post-operative, the nurse has to ensure that the surgical site is managed well to ensure would healing and minimal blood loss by proper care of the surgical site. Dressing of the surgical site including post-operative medication should be given to the patient so as to prevent law suits emanating from unacceptable nursing health practice.
The nurse is ethically obliged to ensure that he observes the code of ethics in such a scenario and should not disclose to any person regarding the patient’s condition as a nurse is obliged to observe patients’ confidentiality at all time (Greenberg, 2010). Furthermore, a nurse is obliged to ensure the procedure goes on in a smooth manner as the patient is obliged to good treatment and investigations regarding his or her condition.
Works Cited
Greenberg, M. S. (2010). Handbook of Neurosurgery. New York: Thieme.
Norton, J. (2006). Surgery: Basic Science and Clinical Evidence. New York: Springer.
