The nurse is assessing the adolescent 4 hr following fasciotomy. Highlight the findings below that indicate the adolescent's condition is improving.

Admission Assessment

1400:

Adolescent brought to emergency department by parents following a fall while skateboarding. Adolescent reports pain in their right leg as 10 on a scale of 0 to 10 and is unable to bear weight.

Adolescent is awake, alert, and oriented x 3. Lungs clear, respirations even and regular. S1 and S2 with regular rate and rhythm. Abdomen soft and nontender with active bowel sounds in all four quadrants. Right lower extremity with open wound and displaced bone. Right lower extremity pulse +1, extremity cool to touch, edema present, capillary refill 4 seconds.

Nurses' Notes 2300:

Adolescent is drowsy and reports nausea. Respirations shallow. Lungs clear. Unproductive cough present. S1 and S2 with regular rate and rhythm. Abdomen soft and nontender with hypoactive bowel sounds in all four quadrants. Right lower extremity fasciotomy, dressing clean, dry, and intact. Extremity pulse +3. Capillary refill 2 seconds. Right extremity is warm to the touch. Adolescent reports no numbness or tingling. Adolescent reports pain as 2 on a scale of 0 to 10.

A. Autonomy is the ethical principle that respects the right of clients to make their own decisions and choices regarding their health care. Informed consent is a process that ensures that clients are fully informed of the benefits, risks, alternatives, and consequences of a proposed treatment or procedure, and that they voluntarily agree to it.

B. Nonmaleficence is the ethical principle that obliges health care providers to do no harm to clients, either intentionally or unintentionally. Informed consent does not directly promote this principle, although it may help to prevent harm by disclosing potential risks and complications.

C. Justice is the ethical principle that requires fair and equal treatment of all clients, regardless of their personal characteristics, preferences, or values. Informed consent does not directly promote this principle, although it may help to ensure that clients are not coerced or manipulated into accepting a treatment or procedure that they do not want or need.

D. Fidelity is the ethical principle that requires health care providers to be faithful and loyal to their clients, and to honor their commitments and promises. Informed consent does not directly promote this principle, although it may help to establish trust and rapport between clients and providers.

Choice A reason:

Urine specific gravity should not be reported by the nurse. While urine specific gravity is an important indicator of hydration status and kidney function, the provided information does not suggest any abnormalities in urinary output or signs of kidney issues. It is not the most critical finding to report in this scenario.

Choice B reason:

Prealbumin should not be reported by the nurse. Prealbumin is a protein used to assess nutritional status, but its significance in this situation is not apparent from the provided data. It may be relevant in other contexts, such as assessing malnutrition, but it does not directly address the current findings.

Choice C reason:

Temperature should not be reported by the nurse. The provided information does not include any data about the client's temperature, and there are no signs of infection mentioned. While temperature is an important vital sign, it is not relevant to the findings presented in this scenario.

Choice D reason

The nurse should report the "hypoactive bowel sounds upon auscultation" to the provider. Hypoactive bowel sounds can be a sign of gastrointestinal (GI) motility issues, which may indicate a potential problem with the client's digestive system. It could be due to various causes such as bowel obstruction, inflammation, or other GI disorders. Reporting this finding to the provider is essential so that appropriate assessments and interventions can be taken to address the client's condition.