The nurse instructs a postpartum patient in the use of a sitz bath. Which action by the patient indicates that the teaching was effective?

This is because pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) can cause eclampsia, a condition characterized by seizures and coma.Eclampsia can occur during pregnancy, labor, or postpartum.

A nurse should monitor the client for signs of increased blood pressure, headache, blurred vision, epigastric pain, and hyperreflexia, which may indicate an impending convulsion.

Choice A is wrong because hemorrhage is not a common complication of PIH.

Hemorrhage may occur due to other causes such as uterine atony, lacerations, or retained placenta.

Choice B is wrong because urinary retention is not a common complication of PIH.

Urinary retention may occur due to other causes such as anesthesia, trauma, or infection.

Choice D is wrong because thrombophlebitis is not a common complication of PIH.

Thrombophlebitis is a condition where a blood clot forms in a vein and causes inflammation.

It may occur due to other risk factors such as immobility, dehydration, or injury.

Physiologic jaundice is a common condition in newborns that occurs when the baby’s blood contains an excess of bilirubin, a yellow pigment produced during the normal breakdown of red blood cells.In the womb, the mother’s liver removes bilirubin for the baby, but after birth the baby’s own liver must take over this function.Because the baby has more red blood cells than an adult and their liver is still immature, they may not be able to process all the bilirubin and it may build up in their skin and eyes, causing a yellowish appearance.

Choice A is wrong because it is not an increase in neonatal metabolism that causes physiologic jaundice, but rather a decrease in hepatic metabolism of bilirubin.

Choice C is wrong because it describes a different type of jaundice called hemolytic jaundice, which occurs when there is an incompatibility between the blood types of the mother and the baby, leading to an immune reaction that destroys the baby’s red blood cells faster than they can be replaced.

Choice D is wrong because it confuses the reticuloendothelial system with the hepatic system.

The reticuloendothelial system is a network of cells and tissues that are involved in immune responses and phagocytosis (the ingestion of foreign particles or cells).

The hepatic system is the system of organs and structures that are involved in liver functions, such as bile production and detoxification.

Normal ranges for bilirubin levels in newborns are 1 to 12 mg/dL (17 to 205 micromol/L) for total bilirubin and 0.2 to 1.4 mg/dL (3 to 24 micromol/L) for direct bilirubin.

Physiologic jaundice usually peaks at 3 to 5 days after birth and resolves by 2 weeks of age.

It does not require treatment unless the bilirubin levels are very high or rising rapidly, which may indicate a more serious condition or a risk of brain damage.