The nurse reviews the nurse’s notes and flow chart to identify trends.

Click to specify the notations that require immediate follow up (more than one notation may be correct.)

Exhibit 1: Patient’s Medical History

• Height: 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
• Weight: 140 lb (63.5 kg)
• Delivery: The patient was transferred to the postpartum unit 1 hour after delivery of a 9 lb 1 oz (4.1 kg) female.

Exhibit 2: Nurse’s Notes and Flow Sheet

The patient was assisted to the bathroom where she voided 150 mL of clear yellow urine. Lochia rubra was moderate with small clots, no foul odor noted. The fundus was firm at the umbilicus. The episiotomy edges were well approximated, with no redness, edema, drainage, or ecchymosis. There was no pain, redness, or swelling in the calves.

• Boggy fundus 1 cm above the umbilicus
• Fundus rotated to the right
• Voided 200 mL of clear yellow urine

Exhibit 3: Vital Signs

• Heart rate: 96 beats/minute
• Blood pressure: 90/62 mm Hg

Exhibit 4: Provider’s Prescriptions

• IV infusing at 125 mL/hr
• A 1,000 mL bag of lactated Ringer’s solution containing 10 units of oxytocin is infusing.

Exhibit 5: Physical Examination Results

• Episiotomy: Intact with no redness
• Body System: Genital/Urinary and Circulatory

Choice A rationale

Assisting the spouse and carefully giving the patient small sips of water may seem like a compassionate action. However, it could potentially lead to aspiration if the patient’s swallowing reflex is compromised, which is common in stroke patients.

Choice B rationale

While obtaining thickening powder before providing any more fluids can help prevent aspiration in patients with dysphagia, it is not the immediate action the nurse should take. The nurse first needs to assess the patient’s swallowing reflex before deciding on the appropriate intervention.

Choice C rationale

The nurse should ask the spouse to stop and assess the patient’s swallowing reflex. This is the most immediate and appropriate action. Stroke patients often have impaired swallowing reflexes, which can lead to aspiration if not properly managed. By assessing the swallowing reflex, the nurse can determine the best course of action to ensure the patient’s safety.

Choice D rationale

Giving the spouse a straw to help facilitate the patient’s drinking is not the best course of action. Straws can increase the risk of aspiration in patients with impaired swallowing reflexes. The nurse should first assess the patient’s swallowing reflex before deciding on the appropriate intervention.

Choice A rationale

The administration of crystalloid fluids in the first 24 hours following a burn incident promotes fluid resuscitation due to capillary leaking. In the aftermath of a burn, there is a disruption of the normal fluid balance in the body, leading to increased capillary permeability and fluid shifts. This can result in a condition known as burn shock, characterized by decreased blood volume and inadequate tissue perfusion. The administration of crystalloid fluids helps to restore intravascular volume, improve tissue perfusion, and prevent burn shock. It also minimizes burn wound conversion and reduces the incidences of post-burn renal failure, life-threatening electrolyte disturbances, and mortality.

Choice B rationale

While restoration of electrolyte balance is an important aspect of burn management, it is not the primary physiological response promoted by the administration of crystalloid fluids in the immediate aftermath of a burn. Electrolyte imbalances in burn patients are usually a result of the systemic inflammatory response, fluid shifts, and renal dysfunction that can occur after a burn. These imbalances are typically managed through careful monitoring and specific electrolyte replacement therapies, rather than through the initial administration of crystalloid fluids.

Choice C rationale

Replacement of insensible water loss is another important aspect of burn management, but it is not the primary physiological response promoted by the administration of crystalloid fluids in the immediate aftermath of a burn. Insensible water loss occurs through evaporation from the burn wound surface and can be significant in burn patients. However, this is typically managed through the maintenance of a humidified environment and specific fluid replacement strategies, rather than through the initial administration of crystalloid fluids.

Choice D rationale

Extension of plasma until blood is available is not the primary physiological response promoted by the administration of crystalloid fluids in the immediate aftermath of a burn. While blood products may be required in the management of severe burns, particularly if there is significant blood loss or hemodynamic instability, the initial focus of fluid resuscitation in burn patients is on the administration of crystalloid solutions to restore intravascular volume and improve tissue perfusion.