Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardReduction of Risk Potential

A client is 4 hours post-coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery with mediastinal and pleural chest tubes in place. The nurse notes that the previously steady dark red mediastinal drainage has abruptly stopped over the last hour. The client has become highly restless. Current vital signs are heart rate 118 bpm, blood pressure 92/76 mmHg, and respiratory rate 22 breaths/min. The latest arterial blood gas (ABG) on 40% FiO2 reveals: pH 7.32, PaCO2 37 mm Hg, PaO2 88 mm Hg, and HCO3 18 mEq/L. Which action should the nurse take FIRST to reduce the risk of imminent mortality?

  1. A
    Document the cessation of drainage as an expected sign of surgical hemostasis and continue routine hemodynamic monitoring.
  2. B
    Place the client in a high Fowler's position and aggressively strip the mediastinal chest tube to dislodge potential clots.
  3. Notify the healthcare provider immediately and prepare the client for an emergency echocardiogram and potential chest reopening.Answer
  4. D
    Administer the prescribed intravenous sodium bicarbonate bolus to urgently correct the uncompensated respiratory acidosis.

Answer

The priority action is to notify the healthcare provider immediately and prepare the client for an emergency echocardiogram and potential surgical chest reopening to relieve the cardiac tamponade.
The correct action directly addresses the life-threatening emergency of cardiac tamponade. The clinical presentation—abrupt cessation of mediastinal drainage, narrowing pulse pressure, restlessness, and metabolic acidosis—strongly suggests that blood is accumulating in the pericardial sac, compressing the heart. Immediate echocardiography and decompression (via chest reopening or pericardiocentesis) are required to prevent mortality.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the chest tube drainage trend.
The abrupt cessation of previously steady mediastinal drainage indicates a high probability of a clotted tube, leading to blood accumulating in the mediastinal or pericardial space.
Recognizing sudden changes in drainage output is critical for early detection of postoperative complications.
2
Evaluate the vital signs for signs of decompensation.
The client has a very narrow pulse pressure (92 - 76 = 16 mmHg) and compensatory tachycardia (118 bpm), which are hallmark signs of cardiac tamponade.
Blood trapped in the pericardial space restricts ventricular filling, decreasing stroke volume and causing a narrow pulse pressure and tachycardia.
3
Interpret the arterial blood gas (ABG) values.
The ABG shows a pH of 7.32 (acidemia) and an HCO3 of 18 mEq/L (low) with a normal PaCO2 (37 mm Hg), indicating uncompensated metabolic acidosis.
Decreased cardiac output from the tamponade leads to tissue hypoperfusion, anaerobic metabolism, and subsequent lactic acidosis.
4
Determine the priority nursing intervention.
The nurse must immediately notify the provider and prepare for life-saving interventions like a bedside echocardiogram and chest reopening.
Cardiac tamponade is an obstructive shock emergency that requires immediate mechanical relief of the pressure around the heart to prevent mortality.

Key Concept

Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening post-CABG complication indicated by abrupt cessation of mediastinal drainage, narrowing pulse pressure, and signs of shock, requiring immediate surgical or medical decompression.
Rate this question

Topics

Reduction of Risk Potential

More questions from this topic