A nurse is admitting a client who is 1 week postpartum and reports excessive vaginal bleeding. The nurse speaks a different language than the client. The client's partner and 10-year-old child are accompanying her. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to gather the client's admission data?

Rationale:

A. Inform the client she will need to formula feed her newborn until she has received antibiotics for 24 hr: Most antibiotics used to treat postpartum endometritis are safe for breastfeeding. Temporary formula feeding is not routinely required.

B. Request a prescription for terbutaline from the provider: Terbutaline is a tocolytic used to suppress preterm labor, which is not indicated postpartum. It does not treat infection or uterine complications.

C. Monitor the height and tone of the client's fundus: Assessing the uterus for firmness and position helps detect uterine atony or worsening infection. Changes in fundal height or tone can indicate retained products of conception or hemorrhage.

D. Instruct the client to wash her hands before and after changing her perineal pad: Hand hygiene reduces the risk of introducing or spreading bacteria to the uterus or perineal area, which is critical when postpartum infection is present.

E. Encourage the client to maintain a semi-Fowler's position to enhance uterine drainage: Semi-Fowler’s positioning promotes drainage of lochia, decreases uterine congestion, and supports recovery from endometritis by reducing bacterial proliferation in pooled fluid.

F. Obtain a culture specimen of the lochia from the client's perineal pad using a sterile swab: A culture helps identify the causative organism of endometritis, allowing the provider to tailor antibiotic therapy effectively.

G. Initiate contact precautions: Endometritis is not a highly transmissible condition; standard precautions, including hand hygiene, are sufficient unless another communicable infection is identified.

A. Administer fluid bolus immediately when the client arrives to the facility: Rapid fluid boluses are reserved for clients in hypovolemic shock. For burn resuscitation, fluids are calculated and administered according to formulas rather than as a one-time bolus.

B. Administer one-third of the total fluid volume for resuscitation within the first 12 hr: Burn fluid resuscitation formulas, such as the Parkland formula, typically require half of the total calculated fluids to be given within the first 8 hours post-burn, not 12 hours.

C. Calculate fluid volume for resuscitation beginning with client arrival time at the facility: Fluid calculation is based on the time of the burn occurrence, not the arrival time, to ensure accurate resuscitation over the initial 24 hours.

D. Use the total body surface area of the client's burns when calculating fluid volume for resuscitation: The extent of burns, expressed as a percentage of total body surface area (TBSA), is a key factor in calculating fluid needs. Accurate TBSA assessment ensures appropriate fluid resuscitation to maintain perfusion and prevent complications.