Post-OP Care

Question 1

The primary concepts for this type of care are ?

Answer 1

gas exchange
pain
clotting
safety
and tissue integrity

Question 2

this period starts at the completion of surgery and transfer of the patient to either PACU, same-day surgery unit, or intensive care unit.

Answer 2

Post-operative

Question 3

ongoing evaluation and stabilization of patients to anticipate, prevent, and treat complications after surgery, including impaired gas exchange.

Answer 3

the purpose of the PACU

Question 4

vital signs and heart sounds, are assessed on admission to the PACU and then at least every ____ minutes until stable, or more often if the patient’s condition warrants it.

Answer 4

15

Question 5

vital signs should be ______ to those that were taken before the surgery

Answer 5

compared

Question 6

the most important assessment after surgery is ______.

Answer 6

respiratory ; immediately assess airway and adequate gas exchange (every assessment afterwards should start with the assessment of client’s respiratory abilities

Question 7

recognize and respond if the patient’s O2 sat drops below ____ or below the baseline established before surgery.

Answer 7

95%

Question 8

what items should be near the patient during the stay in the PACU?

Answer 8

suctioning equipment,
oxygen,
artificial breathing equipment

Question 9

why must peripheral vascularity assessments be performed after surgery?

Answer 9

because anesthesia and positioning during surgery could have impaired the peripheral circulation and contribute to clotting and venous thromoembolism.

Question 10

what are two common reactions after surgery? even though preventive drug therapy can be given in an attempt to reduce the incident.

Answer 10

nausea and vomiting

Question 11

_______ after surgery causes shivering that increases O2 demands and can induce hypoxemia.

Answer 11

Hypothermia (the highest incident of this occurs on the second day post-op)

Question 12

A _____ surgical wound heals at skin level in about 2 weeks in the absence of trauma, connective tissue disease, malnutrition, infection, or the use of some drugs, such as steroids.

• Smokers, older patients, obese patients, diabetic patients, and those with reduced immunity are at risk of impaired TISSUE INTEGRITY and delayed wound healing and infection.
• complete healing takes 6 months to 2 years.

Answer 12

clean

Question 13

________ is a subjective experience and may be more intense than the health care professional can appreciate

Answer 13

Pain

Question 14

What are some priority nursing diagnoses after surgery?

Answer 14

impaired gas exchange
impaired tissue integrity (skin)
acute pain
potential for hypoxemia

Question 15

what should a nurse do if a patient experiences dehiscence or evisceration?

Answer 15

• have the patient lay flat (supine) with knees bent to reduce intra-abdominal pressure.
• notify the physician and stay with the client
• apply sterile, non-adherent, or saline dressing to the wounds

Question 16

Name the criteria needed for a client to be able to leave the PACU

Answer 16

score atleast a 10 on the recovery scale
stable vital signs
normal body temperature
no overt bleeding (clotting)
return of the gag and cough and swallow reflexes
and the ability to take liquids

Question 17

Once the patient leaves the PACU how often are the patients vital signs assessed?

Answer 17

for the first hour every 15 minutes
for the second hour every 30 minutes
for the next four hours every 2 hours
and then every 4 hours for the next 24 to 28 hours

Question 18

the nurse notices _____ patients remain at risk for pneumonia, shock, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest,
CLOTTING and venous thromboembolism (VTE),
and GI bleeding

Answer 18

ALL