A nurse is assessing the vital signs of a post-operative client who is recovering from abdominal surgery. The client’s heart rate has steadily increased from 78 bpm to 102 bpm over the past two hours. What action should the nurse take as a priority?
Continue to monitor the client’s heart rate and document the trend.
Assess for other signs of hypovolemia or bleeding and notify the healthcare provider.
Request a complete blood count (CBC) to check for decreased hemoglobin levels.
Provide pain management and reassess in another two hours.
An increasing heart rate (tachycardia) in a post-operative client can indicate complications such as hypovolemia, pain, infection, or internal bleeding. Prioritizing further assessment of potential causes and notifying the healthcare provider ensures that the underlying issue is identified and managed promptly. Offering pain relief or requesting diagnostic tests are important but should be based on a more thorough assessment and provider input. Monitoring without action delays critical intervention.
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Physiological Integrity
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