A 37-year-old patient has just arrived in the postanesthesia recovery unit (PACU) after a thyroidectomy. Which information is most important to communicate to the surgeon?
a. The patient reports 7/10 incisional pain.
b. The patient has increasing neck swelling.
c. The patient is sleepy and difficult to arouse.
d. The patient's cardiac rate is 112 beats/minute.
ANS: B
The neck swelling may lead to respiratory difficulty, and rapid intervention is needed to prevent airway obstruction. The incisional pain should be treated but is not unusual after surgery. A heart rate of 112 is not unusual in a patient who has been hyperthyroid and has just arrived in the PACU from surgery. Sleepiness in the immediate postoperative period is expected.
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Wheals are large, raised, irregular areas filled with fluid
Indicate whether the statement is true or false