Maternal Disorders Related

Review Maternal Disorders related questions and content

A patient, 32 weeks pregnant with severe headache, is admitted to the hospital with preeclampsia. In addition to obtaining baseline vital signs and placing the client on bed rest, the physician ordered the following four items. Which of the orders should the nurse perform first?

  • A. Assess deep tendon reflexes.'
  • B. Obtain complete blood count.'
  • C. Assess baseline weight.'
  • D. Obtain routine urinalysis.'
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Assess deep tendon reflexes. This is the priority because preeclampsia can progress to eclampsia, a life-threatening condition characterized by seizures. Assessing deep tendon reflexes helps in identifying signs of impending eclampsia. Obtaining a complete blood count (option B) and routine urinalysis (option D) are important in monitoring for complications of preeclampsia but do not address the immediate risk of seizures. Assessing baseline weight (option C) is also important but does not take precedence over assessing deep tendon reflexes in this scenario.