A nurse is caring for a client 4 hours postpartum following a vaginal birth. The client has saturated a perineal pad within 10 minutes. Which of the following is the nurse's first action?
Observe for pooling of blood under the butocks.
Assess client's blood pressure.
Prepare to administer a prescribed oxytocic preparation.
Massage the client's fundus.
The Correct Answer is D
The nurse's first action should be to massage the client's fundus, as this can help stimulate uterine contraction and prevent hemorrhage. The fundus is the upper part of the uterus that contracts and involutes after delivery to compress the blood vessels and stop bleeding. The nurse should palpate the fundus for firmness, height, and position, and massage it gently if it is boggy or displaced.
The other actions are not the first priority and may be done after massaging the fundus.
The nurse should observe for the pooling of blood under the buttocks, as this can indicate a large amount of blood loss that may not be visible on the perineal pad. However, this is not the first action to take, as it does not address the cause of the bleeding or stop it from continuing.
The nurse should assess the client's blood pressure, as this can indicate the severity of blood loss and the presence of shock. However, blood pressure may not change significantly until a large amount of blood is lost, and it is not specific to the cause of bleeding. Therefore, blood pressure is not the first action to take.
The nurse should prepare to administer a prescribed oxytocic preparation, such as oxytocin or methylergonovine, as this can enhance uterine contraction and reduce bleeding. However, this requires a provider's order and may take time to obtain and administer. Therefore, an oxytocic preparation is not the first action to take.
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