A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for total parenteral nutrition with fat emulsion. Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the provider?

Rationale for correct choices:

• Placental abruption: Hypertension in pregnancy increases the risk of premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall. In this case, the elevated BP combined with symptoms like right upper quadrant pain and hyperreflexia suggests a potential complication such as placental abruption.
• Hypertension: A blood pressure of 148/94 mm Hg is above the diagnostic threshold for gestational hypertension. When paired with signs like restlessness, headache, and hyperreflexia, it raises concern for preeclampsia, a known risk factor for placental abruption.

Rationale for incorrect choices:

• Placenta previa: Characterized by painless bleeding in the second or third trimester and associated with abnormal placental placement, not hypertension. The client has no bleeding or ultrasound findings consistent with previa.
• Oligohydramnios: Typically linked to fetal or placental insufficiency or rupture of membranes. No findings in this case suggest low amniotic fluid or related complications.
• Spontaneous abortion: This term applies before 20 weeks’ gestation. The client is 30 weeks pregnant with no signs of fetal demise or expulsion, so this condition does not apply.
• Chorioamnionitis: Requires signs of infection such as fever, uterine tenderness, or foul-smelling discharge. The client is afebrile and has clear lung sounds, making infection unlikely.
• Temperature: The recorded temperature is within normal range (37.4°C), so it does not suggest infection or another abnormality requiring urgent follow-up.
• Vomiting: Common in pregnancy and non-specific unless persistent or linked with abnormal labs. Here, it appears as an isolated symptom and does not directly imply risk of abruption.
• Hyperreflexia: While a sign of preeclampsia, it is secondary to hypertension. It supports the presence of a hypertensive disorder but is not the primary cause of abruption.
• Fundal measurement: A fundal height of 29 cm is normal for 30 weeks’ gestation and does not indicate fetal growth restriction or excess fluid that might signal a complication.

Rationale:

A. First-degree atrioventricular block: A first-degree AV block is characterized by a prolonged but consistent P-R interval greater than 0.20 seconds. A P-R interval of 0.35 seconds with no dropped beats is a classic sign of this dysrhythmia.

B. Atrial fibrillation: Atrial fibrillation presents with an irregularly irregular rhythm and absent distinct P waves. The presence of a consistent P-R interval rules out atrial fibrillation.

C. Premature atrial complexes: PACs are identified by early P waves that may look different from sinus P waves, often followed by a normal QRS complex. They do not cause consistently prolonged P-R intervals.

D. Complete heart block: Complete (third-degree) heart block involves no association between P waves and QRS complexes. The atria and ventricles beat independently, which contradicts the presence of a consistent P-R interval.