A 60-year-old undergoes surgery for a bone fracture. Which nursing measure would be most ef-fective for preventing pulmonary embolism (PE) in this patient?
a. Ensure that patient uses supplemental ox-ygen.
b. Prevent deep vein thrombosis formation.
c. Check hematocrit and hemoglobin levels frequently during the postoperative peri-od.
d. Promote aggressive fluid intake.
ANS: B
PE most commonly results from embolization of a clot from deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in-volving the lower leg; thus, preventing these will help prevent pulmonary emboli. Oxygen will neither prevent emboli nor check hemoglobin and hematocrit.
Fluid intake will help, but it is not as important as preventing DVT.
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