The nurse is assessing a client who has just arrived in the postanesthesia recovery unit (PACU) after a thyroidectomy and obtains these data. Which of the following information is most important to communicate to the surgeon?
A)The client is sleepy and hard to arouse.
B)The client has increasing swelling of the neck.
C)The client is complaining of 7/10 incisional pain.
D)The client's cardiac monitor shows a heart rate of 112.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The neck swelling may lead to respiratory difficulty, and rapid intervention is needed to prevent airway obstruction. The incisional pain should be treated but is not unusual after surgery. A heart rate of 112 is not unusual in a client who has been hyperthyroid and has just arrived in the PACU from surgery. Sleepiness in the immediate postoperative period is expected.

The Nurse Is Assessing a Client Who Has Just Arrived