Burns Pediatric Primary Care Test Bank Related

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Following a splenectomy, a client has a hemoglobin (Hb) level of 7.5g/dl and has vertigo when getting out of bed. The nurse suspects abnormal orthostatic changes. The vital sign values that would most support the nurse's analysis are:

  • A. Rise in blood pressure and heart rate
  • B. Rise in blood pressure and drop in heart rate
  • C. Drop in blood pressure and rise in heart rate
  • D. none of the above
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Following a splenectomy, the client's hemoglobin level of 7.5g/dl indicates anemia, which can contribute to orthostatic hypotension. When the client changes position from lying to standing, the decrease in blood volume may lead to a drop in blood pressure. Additionally, the compensatory mechanism to maintain perfusion to vital organs is to increase the heart rate. Therefore, the vital sign values that would most support the nurse's analysis are a drop in blood pressure (hypotension) and a rise in heart rate (tachycardia).