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Clinical Features
Clinical Features ( 16 Questions)
A nurse is caring for a client with mild pre-eclampsia who has a blood pressure of 150/95 mmHg, proteinuria of 400 mg/24 hours, and edema of the face and hands.
Which intervention is the priority for this client?
Magnesium sulfate is used to prevent seizures in severe preeclampsia or eclampsia, not mild preeclampsia.
Monitoring the fetal heart rate and movement is important, but not the priority for this client.
This is because bed rest can lower blood pressure and improve blood flow to the placenta and the fetus.The left lateral position reduces pressure on the inferior vena cava, a large vein that carries blood from the lower body to the heart.
Educating the client about the signs of eclampsia is not urgent and may not prevent the progression of preeclampsia.Some signs of eclampsia are severe headaches, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and seizures.
Encourage bed rest in a left lateral position.
This is because bed rest can lower blood pressure and improve blood flow to the placenta and the fetus. The left lateral position reduces pressure on the inferior vena cava, a large vein that carries blood from the lower body to the heart.
Choice A is wrong because magnesium sulfate is used to prevent seizures in severe preeclampsia or eclampsia, not mild preeclampsia.
Choice B is wrong because monitoring the fetal heart rate and movement is important, but not the priority for this client.
Choice D is wrong because educating the client about the signs of eclampsia is not urgent and may not prevent the progression of preeclampsia. Some signs of eclampsia are severe headaches, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and seizures.