The nurse understands that chest pain related to pericarditis is classically relieved by

A. Assessing the incision for any redness, swelling, or discharge: At 3 weeks post pacemaker insertion, the wound should be well into the healing process. Monitoring for signs of infection—such as redness, swelling, or discharge—remains a top priority to identify delayed wound complications like infection or erosion.

B. Applying wet-to-dry dressings every 4 hours to the insertion site: Wet-to-dry dressings are used for debridement of open wounds with significant drainage and necrotic tissue, not for healing surgical incisions. By 3 weeks post-procedure, the site should be dry and closed; such dressing changes would be inappropriate and potentially increase risk of infection.

C. Reinforcing the pressure dressing as needed: Pressure dressings are typically used in the immediate post-operative period to control bleeding and are not maintained weeks after insertion. Reinforcing one at this stage would suggest poor wound healing or inappropriate post-op management.

D. Encouraging range-of-motion exercises of the involved arm: While regaining full range of motion is important after pacemaker insertion, it's usually initiated gradually. Gentle arm movement may be resumed after a few weeks but early aggressive range-of-motion exercises are discouraged immediately post-insertion to prevent lead dislodgement. At the 3-week mark, movement should be cautious and per the provider’s specific clearance.

A. Dilated: Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can occur during the last month of pregnancy or within five months after delivery. It is characterized by ventricular dilation and impaired systolic function, leading to signs of heart failure in previously healthy women.

B. Restrictive: Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a rare form that involves impaired ventricular filling due to stiffened myocardial walls. It is typically associated with infiltrative diseases like amyloidosis or sarcoidosis, not with pregnancy or the postpartum period.

C. Hypertrophic: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is usually genetic and involves thickened ventricular walls, especially the interventricular septum. It is not linked to childbirth and tends to present earlier in life with symptoms like syncope or sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

D. Myocarditis: Myocarditis involves inflammation of the heart muscle due to infection or autoimmune causes. Although it can occur postpartum, it is not specifically associated with childbirth like peripartum cardiomyopathy, which is a distinct clinical entity.