The nurse wants to detect a paralytic ileus promptly in a patient after a total abdominal hysterectomy. Which method is best for the nurse to use to assess for this postoperative compli-cation?
a. Auscultate the bowel sounds every few hours.
b. Palpate the suprapubic region for disten-tion.
c. Evaluate the patient's postoperative appe-tite.
d. Administer stool softeners for prophylaxis.
A
Most patients resume bowel function within days of an abdominal procedure, but it potentially takes longer when the patient takes opioid analgesics for pain control. The nurse auscultates bo-wel sounds every 4 hours, asks the patient whether gas is passing, and palpates the abdomen for distention for early detection of paralytic ileus to prevent a bowel obstruction and patient pain. The suprapubic region is palpated to check for a distended bladder, not a paralytic ileus. The pa-tient's appetite can be unaffected by a paralytic ileus at first. If an ileus continues, patients usually lose their appetite and begin vomiting after eating. Administering stool softeners is a nursing action, not an assessment technique.
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