The nurse is caring for a client with septicemia who develops prolonged bleeding from venipuncture sites and blood in the stools. Which of the following actions is most important for the nurse to take?
A)Notify the client's health care provider.
B)Avoid unnecessary venipunctures.
C)Apply sterile dressings to the sites.
D)Give prescribed proton-pump inhibitors.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The client's new onset of bleeding and diagnosis of sepsis suggest that disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) may have developed, which will require collaborative actions such as diagnostic testing, blood product administration, and heparin administration. The other actions also are appropriate, but the most important action should be to notify the physician so that DIC treatment can be initiated rapidly.

The Nurse Is Caring for a Client with Septicemia Who