A nursing student is preparing a class presentation about changes in the various body systems during the postpartum period and their effects

Question

Which of the following would the student include as influencing a postpartum woman's ability to void? (Select all that apply.) A) Use of an opioid anesthetic during labor
B) Generalized swelling of the perineum
C) Decreased bladder tone from regional anesthesia
D) Use of oxytocin to augment labor
E) Need for an episiotomy

Answer 1

B, C, D
Feedback:
Many women have difficulty feeling the sensation to void after giving birth if they received an anesthetic block during labor (which inhibits neural functioning of the bladder) or if they received oxytocin to induce or augment their labor (antidiuretic effect). These women will be at risk for incomplete emptying, bladder distention, difficulty voiding, and urinary retention. In addition, urination may be impeded by perineal lacerations; generalized swelling and bruising of the perineum and tissues surrounding the urinary meatus; hematomas; decreased bladder tone as a result of regional anesthesia; and diminished sensation of bladder pressure as a result of swelling, poor bladder tone, and numbing effects of regional anesthesia used during labor.