After delivering a healthy baby boy with epidural anesthesia, a woman on the after-birth unit complains of a severe headache. The nurse should anticipate which actions in the patient's plan of care? (Select all that apply.)

Frequent monitoring of vital signs

Assisting with a blood patch procedure

Correct Administration of oral analgesics

Keeping the head of bed elevated at all times

Answer and Explanation

Correct Answer : A,B,C

A. Frequent monitoring of vital signs. A post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) can occur after epidural anesthesia due to leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Monitoring vital signs, particularly blood pressure and heart rate, helps assess for hypotension, fluid balance, and overall neurological status.

B. Assisting with a blood patch procedure. An epidural blood patch is the most effective treatment for a severe post-dural puncture headache. This procedure involves injecting the patient’s own blood into the epidural space to seal the CSF leak and relieve symptoms. The nurse should prepare for the procedure and educate the patient about it.

C. Administration of oral analgesics. Oral analgesics, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, are used to relieve mild to moderate headache symptoms. However, they may not be fully effective for a severe PDPH and are often used as supportive therapy along with other interventions.

D. Keeping the head of bed elevated at all times. Lying flat, rather than elevating the head of the bed, is actually recommended to help reduce CSF leakage and alleviate headache symptoms. Keeping the head elevated may worsen the headache by increasing CSF pressure changes.

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

A. No action is necessary since a decrease in the woman's blood pressure is expected. While a drop in blood pressure is a common side effect of a spinal block, a 20% decrease is significant and can compromise placental perfusion, leading to fetal distress. Intervention is necessary to restore circulation.

B. Decrease her intravenous (IV) rate to a keep vein-open rate. This is incorrect because IV fluids help counteract hypotension. Instead of decreasing the IV rate, the nurse may need to increase fluid administration to improve blood pressure and maintain perfusion.

C. Encourage her to empty her bladder. A full bladder can affect labor progression but does not directly cause or correct hypotension. The priority in this scenario is restoring blood pressure to ensure adequate fetal oxygenation.

D. Turn the woman to the left lateral position or place a pillow under her hip. This is the most appropriate intervention. A left lateral position or elevating her right hip helps relieve aortocaval compression, improving blood flow to the uterus and stabilizing blood pressure. Additional interventions, such as IV fluid boluses or vasopressors (e.g., ephedrine), may be needed if hypotension persists.

A. The type of uterine incision used for the cesarean. B. The client's blood type and Rh status. C. The client's response to anesthesia used for the last delivery. D. Lab values, especially hemoglobin and hematocrit

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

A. The type of uterine incision used for the cesarean. This is the most important information because the type of uterine incision determines whether a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) is safe. A low transverse incision is the safest and has the lowest risk of uterine rupture, while a classical (vertical) incision carries a high risk of rupture and contraindicates vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).

B. The client's blood type and Rh status. While blood type and Rh status are important for managing potential complications such as Rh incompatibility, they do not determine the safety of a VBAC attempt. The uterine incision type is the key factor in assessing the risk of uterine rupture.

C. The client's response to anesthesia used for the last delivery. Although anesthesia history is relevant for planning pain management, it is not the most critical factor in determining whether the patient can safely attempt a vaginal delivery after a prior cesarean.

D. Lab values, especially hemoglobin and hematocrit. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels help assess for anemia or blood loss risk, but they do not affect the safety of a VBAC attempt. The primary concern is uterine integrity, which is determined by the type of previous cesarean incision.

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After delivering a healthy baby boy with epidural anesthesia, a woman on the after-birth unit complains of a severe headache. The nurse should anticipate which actions in the patient's plan of care? (Select all that apply.)

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A woman is in the second stage of labor and has a spinal block in place for pain management. The nurse obtains the woman's blood pressure and notes that it is 20% lower than the baseline level. Which action should the nurse take?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

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