RN Exam Practice
Pharmacological and Parenteral TherapiesQuestion 1471 of 2368

A nurse receives new orders for an IV antibiotic and a blood culture for a client with suspected sepsis. What should the nurse do?

  1. Make sure the blood culture is drawn before the antibiotic is given
  2. Give the first dose and draw the culture an hour later
  3. Give the antibiotic only after the culture results return
  4. Draw the culture only if the client's temperature stays elevated
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Correct answer: Make sure the blood culture is drawn before the antibiotic is given

Giving the antibiotic first affects the culture results and the treatment plan. The culture is drawn before the antibiotic.

Source: Nursing Fundamentals, 2nd edition (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2024), Infection: Assessment. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026