A patient undergoes a left above-the-knee amputation with an immediate prosthetic fitting. When the patient arrives on the orthopedic unit after surgery, the nurse should
a. place the patient in a prone position.
b. check the surgical site for hemorrhage.
c. remove the prosthesis and wrap the site.
d. keep the residual leg elevated on a pillow.
Ans: B
The nurse should monitor for hemorrhage after the surgery. The prosthesis will not be removed. To avoid flexion contracture of the hip, the leg will not be elevated on a pillow. The patient is placed in a prone position after amputation to prevent hip flexion, but this would not be done during the immediate postoperative period.
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