During bedside handoff in a surgical step-down unit, a practical nurse reviews the clinical data of a young adult client who underwent a laparoscopic splenectomy earlier in the day. The client is drowsy but rouses to verbal stimuli. The flow sheet indicates that over the past three hours, the client's heart rate has climbed from 82 to 118 beats per minute, and blood pressure has narrowed from 120/78 to 106/82 mmHg. The client reports new, mild left shoulder pain and slight abdominal fullness. Based on these clinical findings, which action is the priority for the practical nurse to implement?
- Notify the supervising registered nurse immediately regarding the vital sign trends and shoulder pain.Cevap
- BAdminister the prescribed as-needed analgesic to relieve the anticipated post-laparoscopic shoulder discomfort.
- CDocument the findings as expected postoperative recovery and reassess the vital signs in one hour.
- DElevate the head of the bed to a high-Fowler's position to decrease pressure on the diaphragm.
Cevap
Notify the supervising registered nurse immediately regarding the vital sign trends and shoulder pain.
The correct action is to immediately notify the registered nurse because the combination of a narrowing pulse pressure, progressive tachycardia, and left shoulder pain (Kehr's sign) strongly suggests acute internal hemorrhage following a highly vascular surgery like a splenectomy. This is a medical emergency requiring rapid intervention beyond independent practical nursing actions.
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Anahtar Kavram
Recognition of early hemorrhagic shock and appropriate clinical escalation