A nurse is teaching a client about serum prealbumin. Which of the following statements should the nurse include?

Rationale

• Irrigate indwelling urinary catheter with 50 mL normal saline: Following perineal prostatectomy, bladder spasms, pink urine, and a sensation of fullness can indicate catheter blockage from clots. Gentle irrigation with a small volume ensures catheter patency and relieves obstruction. The client’s decreasing urine output despite increased intake further supports the need for irrigation. Restoring flow prevents retention and reduces discomfort from bladder spasms.

• Apply warm compresses to the incision site: Heat increases vasodilation and can worsen postoperative bleeding in a highly vascular perineal area. A prostatectomy incision requires protection from excessive warmth to reduce hemorrhage risk. Additionally, warm compresses could increase swelling and discomfort.

• Maintain bed rest for 2 days postoperatively: Early ambulation is essential to prevent postoperative complications such as DVT, which is especially important given the client’s history of thrombosis. This client is already independently ambulating, which should be encouraged. Bed rest would increase clot formation risk and impair bowel function, worsening constipation and pain.

• Place a blanket roll under the client’s knees while in bed: Placing pillows or rolls under the knees promotes venous stasis and increases DVT risk, which is dangerous for this client with a past history of thrombosis. Knee flexion also strains the perineal surgical area and may increase pain. Maintaining legs flat encourages optimal circulation and reduces risk of clot formation.

Rationale for correct choices

• Evaluating the fetal heart rate tracing: The client is at 31 weeks of gestation with decreased fetal movement, a sign of potential fetal compromise. Assessing the fetal heart rate immediately allows the nurse to determine fetal well-being and identify any signs of distress. Prompt evaluation is critical in high-risk pregnancies, especially with maternal hypertension and preeclampsia, to guide timely interventions.

• Administering antihypertensives: The client’s blood pressure readings (162/112 mm Hg and 166/110 mm Hg) indicate severe hypertension, increasing the risk for maternal complications such as stroke and eclampsia. Administering prescribed antihypertensives after assessing fetal status helps stabilize maternal blood pressure while maintaining fetal perfusion.

Rationale for incorrect choices

• Administering acetaminophen PO: While the client reports a severe headache, acetaminophen only addresses pain symptomatically and does not treat the underlying severe hypertension or fetal risk. Managing maternal blood pressure and assessing fetal status take priority over analgesic administration in this scenario.

• Obtaining 24-hour urine collection: A 24-hour urine collection to measure proteinuria is important for diagnosing preeclampsia severity, but it is not an immediate action. It is time-consuming and does not provide real-time data on maternal or fetal well-being, so it should follow urgent interventions.

• Administering antibiotics: There is no evidence of infection in the client’s assessment or laboratory findings, so antibiotics are not indicated at this time. Initiating antibiotics would not address the acute maternal or fetal risks associated with severe preeclampsia.

• Encouraging ambulation: Encouraging ambulation is inappropriate in a client with severe hypertension and decreased fetal movement because physical activity could exacerbate maternal risk and stress the fetus. Bed rest and monitoring are safer until the client is stabilized.