The patient has just returned to the postsurgical unit after undergoing surgery to remove a lung tumor. During one of the postoperative vital sign checks, the nurse notes that the patient's systolic blood pressure had dropped by 30 points
In addition to the drop in systolic blood pressure, the patient's skin is pale and "clammy." The nurse should do which of the following? a. Report the findings to the health care provider immediately.
b. Understand that the patient's arteries are constricting, causing pallor.
c. Wait to see if the blood pressure increases in 30 minutes.
d. Nothing; this is a normal occurrence following a thoracic surgery.
A
Signs and symptoms associated with hypotension include pallor, skin mottling, clamminess, confusion, dizziness, chest pain, increased heart rate, and decreased urine output. Hypotension is usually life threatening and needs to be reported immediately to the patient's health care provider. Doing nothing can lead to the patient's death. Hypotension occurs when arteries dilate; the peripheral vascular resistance decreases, the circulating blood volume decreases, or the heart fails to provide adequate cardiac output.
You might also like to view...
The nurse is working in a PICU with several children with life-threatening illnesses. The children come from a variety of cultural and religious groups
Because of their religious beliefs, the parents of which religious group should not be contacted regarding organ and tissue donation? 1. Jehovah's Witness 2. Islam 3. Hinduism 4. Buddhism
A patient with an SCI begins to have seizures, and the blood pressure (BP) rises rapidly to 210/160 mm Hg. Which is the third indicator of the syndrome of autonomic dysreflexia?
a. Profuse vomiting b. Hives on face and neck c. Excessive urine output d. Bradycardia
A resident has slid down in the wheelchair. The person can follow directions and assist with re-positioning. Which action is unsafe?
a. You lock the wheelchair wheels. b. You position the person's feet flat on the floor. c. You apply a transfer belt. d. You stand behind the wheelchair.
The nurse is providing patient education to an elderly patient being treated for duodenal ulcers. The prescriber has ordered sucralfate (Carafate)
The patient asks the nurse how sucralfate helps heal ulcers. Select the correct explanation given by the nurse. a. "It creates a protective barrier against pepsin and acid." b. "It irreversibly suppresses gastric acidity." c. "It inhibits the enzyme that generates gastric acid." d. "It enhances prostaglandin production."