A patient who had arthroscopic surgery of the right knee 7 days ago is admitted with a red, swollen, and hot knee. Which assessment finding by the nurse should be reported to the health care provider immediately?
a. The blood pressure is 86/50 mm Hg.
b. The white blood cell count is 11,500/µL.
c. The patient is taking ibuprofen (Motrin).
d. The patient says the knee pain is severe.
ANS: A
The low blood pressure suggests that the patient may be developing septicemia as a complication of septic arthritis. Immediate blood cultures and initiation of antibiotic therapy are indicated. The other information is typical of septic arthritis and should also be reported to the health care provider, but it does not indicate any immediately life-threatening problems.
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