Surgical Procedures & Postoperative Care Flashcards
7 cards from real MSNCB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Surgical Procedures & Postoperative Care flashcards as text
A patient returns from abdominal surgery with a Jackson-Pratt drain. The nurse notes 150 mL of bright red drainage in the first hour. What is the priority action?
Answer: Notify the surgeon immediately
Bright red drainage exceeding 100 mL/hr from a JP drain suggests active hemorrhage and requires immediate surgical notification.
Which positioning is most appropriate for a patient after a right-sided pneumonectomy to facilitate lung expansion?
Answer: Right lateral decubitus or semi-Fowler's
Positioning on the operative side (right) or semi-Fowler's prevents mediastinal shift and supports the remaining lung.
A postoperative patient's urine output drops to 20 mL/hr for 2 consecutive hours. The nurse should first:
Answer: Assess fluid status and check for kinked catheter tubing
Oliguria (<30 mL/hr) first warrants assessment of volume status and mechanical causes before pharmacologic intervention.
Following a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a patient complains of right shoulder pain. The nurse correctly explains this is due to:
Answer: Referred pain from diaphragmatic irritation by residual CO2
Residual CO2 gas used during laparoscopy irritates the diaphragm, causing referred pain to the shoulder via the phrenic nerve.
A nurse is assessing a postoperative patient for malignant hyperthermia. The earliest sign is typically:
Answer: Masseter muscle rigidity
Masseter spasm (jaw rigidity) after succinylcholine is often the earliest clinical sign of malignant hyperthermia.
Which intervention best reduces the risk of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in a patient who had a total knee replacement?
Answer: Early ambulation and sequential compression devices
Early ambulation combined with SCDs promotes venous return and is the most effective combined approach to DVT prevention after orthopedic surgery.
A patient post-thyroidectomy develops stridor, facial twitching, and a positive Chvostek's sign. The nurse should prepare to administer:
Answer: Calcium gluconate IV
Stridor and positive Chvostek's sign post-thyroidectomy indicate hypocalcemia from inadvertent parathyroid removal, treated with IV calcium gluconate.