The patient arrives in the postanesthesia care unit after a cardiac catheterization via the left femoral artery to assess the right atrium

Which patient datum is the nurse's priority to assess perfusion of the affected extremity after the procedure? a. Checking the left femoral region for bleeding
b. Monitoring patient vital signs every 15 minutes
c. Applying direct pressure at the patient's intravenous (IV) site
d. Palpating the right pedal pulse for pulsa-tions


A
To access the right heart, the provider used a femoral approach, which is the site where bleeding would occur after the procedure. The nurse measures vital signs every 15 minutes after a cardiac catheterization; however, unless the femoral vein is bleeding, the vital signs provide secondary evidence about the perfusion to the affected extremity. The nurse palpates the unaffected extremity as a comparison for the affected extremity. Applying pressure is a nursing intervention and will not provide patient data regarding perfusion.

Nursing

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