foundations of nursing test bank Related

Review foundations of nursing test bank related questions and content

A 31-year-old patient has returned to the post-surgical unit following a hysterectomy. The patients care plan addresses the risk of hemorrhage. How should the nurse best monitor the patients postoperative blood loss?

  • A. Have the patient void and have bowel movements using a commode rather than toilet.
  • B. Count and inspect each perineal pad that the patient uses.
  • C. Swab the patients perineum for the presence of blood at least once per shift.
  • D. Leave the patients perineum open to air to facilitate inspection.
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Count and inspect each perineal pad that the patient uses. This method directly measures postoperative blood loss and allows for accurate monitoring. It provides quantitative data to assess the severity of hemorrhage.

A: Having the patient void and have bowel movements using a commode rather than toilet does not directly measure blood loss and may not provide accurate monitoring.

C: Swabbing the patient's perineum for the presence of blood is not as accurate as directly counting and inspecting perineal pads.

D: Leaving the patient's perineum open to air does not provide a method for quantifying blood loss and may not be as reliable as inspecting perineal pads.