The client has a fractured femur. Which should the nurse monitor for as a clinical indicator of a fat embolism?
1. Bradypnea
2. Restlessness
3. Bradycardia
4. Hypertension
2
2. The nurse monitors for client restlessness as a clinical indicator of a fat embolism because a fat embolism from a long bone fracture usually lodges in the lungs, causing clinical indicators similar to a pulmonary embolism including hypoxia, dyspnea, hy-potension, and restlessness as the embolism obstructs venous return from the heart to the lungs.
1. Bradypnea is consistent with clinical indicators for oversedation, neurological im-pairment, or respiratory failure.
3. Bradycardia can result from vagal stimulation, cardiopulmonary failure, or sinus node impairment.
4. Hypotension is more likely to result from a fat embolism than from hypertension.
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