A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client who had preeclampsia and delivered a healthy baby at 38 weeks of gestation.

Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

Report any headache that is not relieved by acetaminophen.This is because a headache that persists despite taking pain medication can be a sign of increased blood pressure or brain swelling, which are serious complications of preeclampsia.

Choice B is wrong because some vaginal bleeding for up to 6 weeks postpartum is normal and expected for any woman who has given birth, regardless of whether she had preeclampsia or not.

Choice C is wrong because resuming sexual activity as soon as you feel comfortable is also a normal recommendation for any woman who has given birth, unless there are other medical reasons to avoid it.

Choice D is wrong because drinking at least 3 liters of fluid per day to prevent dehydration is not necessary for a woman who had preeclampsia.In fact, drinking too much fluid can worsen the swelling and fluid retention that are common in preeclampsia.

The most likely explanation for the client's findings of severe headache, blurred vision, hyperreflexia, and clonus in the context of severe pre-eclampsia is A. Cerebral edema.

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-related condition characterized by high blood pressure (hypertension) and signs of organ damage, most commonly affecting the liver and kidneys. Severe pre-eclampsia can lead to complications such as eclampsia, which is characterized by seizures. The symptoms described by the client, including severe headache and blurred vision, are consistent with neurological manifestations associated with severe pre-eclampsia.

Hyperreflexia refers to an exaggerated reflex response, and clonus refers to rhythmic contractions of a muscle when it is passively stretched. Both hyperreflexia and clonus are indicative of central nervous system (CNS) hyperexcitability. Cerebral edema, which is the swelling of the brain due to fluid accumulation, can lead to increased intracranial pressure and neurological symptoms such as headache, vision changes, hyperreflexia, and clonus.

While other complications such as pulmonary edema (B), hemolysis (C), and thrombocytopenia (D) can occur in severe pre-eclampsia, they are not directly associated with the reported symptoms of severe headache, blurred vision, hyperreflexia, and clonus.

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-related condition characterized by high blood pressure (hypertension) and signs of organ damage, most commonly affecting the liver and kidneys. Severe pre-eclampsia can lead to complications such as eclampsia, which is characterized by seizures. The symptoms described by the client, including severe headache and blurred vision, are consistent with neurological manifestations associated with severe pre-eclampsia.

Hyperreflexia refers to an exaggerated reflex response, and clonus refers to rhythmic contractions of a muscle when it is passively stretched. Both hyperreflexia and clonus are indicative of central nervous system (CNS) hyperexcitability. Cerebral edema, which is the swelling of the brain due to fluid accumulation, can lead to increased intracranial pressure and neurological symptoms such as headache, vision changes, hyperreflexia, and clonus.

While other complications such as pulmonary edema (B), hemolysis (C), and thrombocytopenia (D) can occur in severe pre-eclampsia, they are not directly associated with the reported symptoms of severe headache, blurred vision, hyperreflexia, and clonus.