The nurse is admitting a 32-year-old woman to the presurgical unit. The nurse learns during the admission assessment that the patient takes oral contraceptives. Consequently, the nurse's postoperative plan of care should include what intervention?
A) Early ambulation and leg exercises
B) Cessation of the oral contraceptives until 3 weeks postoperative
C) Doppler ultrasound of peripheral circulation twice daily
D) Dependent positioning of the patient's extremities when at rest
Ans: A
Feedback:
Oral contraceptive use increases blood coagulability; with bed rest, the patient may be at increased risk of developing deep vein thrombosis. Leg exercises and early ambulation are among the interventions that address this risk. Assessment of peripheral circulation is important, but Doppler ultrasound may not be necessary to obtain these data. Dependent positioning increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Contraceptives are not normally discontinued to address the risk of VTE in the short term.
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