What assessment data increases the risk of postpartum infection?
- A. precipitous labor
- B. urinary retention
- C. breast-feeding
- D. intact perineum
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Precipitous labor increases the risk of postpartum infection.
You may also like to solve these questions
The nurse is closely monitoring a patient who is postpartum and at risk for PPH. Which assessment finding will cause the nurse to contact the primary care provider immediately?
- A. The uterus is displaced.
- B. The uterine fundus is boggy.
- C. Small clots are expressed with massage.
- D. Peripad weighs 100 g within 15 minutes.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse will monitor the amount and characteristics of each patient’s lochia. If bleeding seems excessive, the nurse will weigh peripads to ascertain the amount of blood loss.
What is characteristic of a late (secondary) PPH?
- A. occurs within the first 24 hours
- B. is caused by subinvolution of the uterus
- C. does not occur after cesarean births
- D. cannot be treated with Methergine
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B because late (secondary) postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is typically caused by subinvolution of the uterus, leading to persistent bleeding after the first 24 hours postpartum. This is due to inadequate contraction of the uterus to stop bleeding from the placental site.
Choice A is incorrect because a late PPH occurs after the first 24 hours, not within it. Choice C is incorrect because late PPH can occur after cesarean births as well. Choice D is incorrect because Methergine is commonly used to treat late PPH by promoting uterine contractions and controlling bleeding.
The nurse is aware the greatest source of bleeding during childbirth occurs following detachment of the placenta. Which physiological change takes place immediately after the expulsion of the placenta to decrease the amount of blood loss?
- A. Contractions of the uterine myometrium
- B. Factor VIII complex increases during gestation
- C. Platelet activity increases before labor and delivery
- D. Fibrin formation increases before the birth occurs
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Contractions of the uterine myometrium. After the placenta is expelled, the uterine myometrium contracts, causing compression of blood vessels at the site of placental detachment, which helps to decrease blood loss. This contraction also helps to close off blood vessels and reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
Summary of other choices:
B: Factor VIII complex increases during gestation - Factor VIII is involved in blood clotting, but its increase during gestation is not directly related to decreasing blood loss after placental expulsion.
C: Platelet activity increases before labor and delivery - While platelet activity is important for blood clotting, the increase before labor and delivery does not specifically address the immediate decrease in blood loss after placental expulsion.
D: Fibrin formation increases before the birth occurs - Fibrin formation is part of the clotting process, but its increase before birth does not directly address the immediate decrease in blood loss post
The nurse reviews postpartum discharge instructions regarding sexual health. What information is important to review?
- A. Place nothing in the vagina for 4 -6 weeks.
- B. Pregnancy cannot occur until 3 months after birth.
- C. Sexual intercourse can resume after discharge from the facility.
- D. Postpartum persons do not have a need for sexual intimacy.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: It is important to wait 4 -6 weeks before placing anything in the vagina to allow for physical recovery and reduce infection risk.
A patient who has been on prolonged bedrest for bleeding associated with placenta previa was taken to the operating room for an emergency cesarean delivery. Sixteen hours postoperatively, the patient complains that her left leg is hurting. The nurse finds that the entire left leg is swollen and has pitting edema, while the right leg appears to be normal. Which order does the nurse anticipate when paging the health care provider to the room?
- A. White blood cell count (WBC)
- B. Ultrasound of the leg
- C. X-ray of the leg
- D. Serum creatinine
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The swollen and painful leg may indicate a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and an ultrasound is the appropriate diagnostic test.