Post op care of GI patient

The nurse caring for the patient who is immediately postoperative with a new ileostomy. Which intervention is most important for the nurse to implement at this time? a. Change the ostomy pouch frequently. b. Provide emotional support. c. Administer a stool softener. d. Offer the patient frequent snacks.

ANS: B

A nurse is caring for a patient who is 4 hours postoperative after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patient reports abdominal fullness and mild discomfort. After verifying that the patient's vital signs are stable, what action is most important for the nurse to take next? a. Ambulate the patient. b. Notify the charge nurse. c. Position the patient in high Fowler. d. Administer the ordered PRN analgesic.

ANS: A Retained carbon dioxide (CO2) used during a laparoscopic procedure causes "free air" pain, which may manifest as abdominal fullness and mild discomfort. Early and frequent ambulation helps the CO2 gas dissipate. The charge nurse does not require notification at this time. The nurse should position the patient upright after ambulation. If ambulation does not ease the patient's discomfort, the nurse should then administer the PRN analgesic as ordered

A client who had a partial gastrectomy has several expected nutritional problems. What actions by the nurse are best to promote better nutrition? (Select all that apply.) a. Administer vitamin B12 injections. b. Ask the provider about folic acid replacement. c. Educate the client on enteral feedings. d. Obtain consent for total parenteral nutrition. e. Provide iron supplements for the client.

ANS: A, B, E After gastrectomy, clients are at high risk for anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency, folic acid deficiency, or iron deficiency. The nurse should provide supplements for all these nutrients. The client does not need enteral feeding or total parenteral nutrition

The nurse has been caring for a patient with liver dysfunction. The practitioner has just performed a liver biopsy at the bedside. Following a liver biopsy, how would the nurse position the patient? a. Left side for 2 hours b. Right side for 2 hours c. Left side for 6 to 8 hours d. Right side for 6 to 8 hours

ANS: B After the procedure, the patient is positioned on the right side for 2 hours and kept on complete bed rest for the next 6 to 8 hours.

At his first postoperative checkup appointment after a gastrojejunostomy (Billroth II), a patient reports that dizziness, weakness, and palpitations occur about 20 minutes after each meal. The nurse will teach the patient to a. increase the amount of fluid with meals. b. eat foods that are higher in carbohydrates. c. lie down for about 30 minutes after eating. d. drink sugared fluids or eat candy after meals.

ANS: C The patient is experiencing symptoms of dumping syndrome, which may be reduced by lying down after eating. Increasing fluid intake and choosing high carbohydrate foods will increase the risk for dumping syndrome. Having a sweet drink or hard candy will correct the hypoglycemia that is associated with dumping syndrome but will not prevent dumping syndrome.

The nurse is caring for a 54-year-old female patient on the first postoperative day after a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure. Which assessment finding should be reported immediately to the surgeon? a. Bilateral crackles audible at both lung bases b. Redness, irritation, and skin breakdown in skinfolds c. Emesis of bile-colored fluid past the nasogastric (NG) tube d. Use of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) several times an hour for pain

ANS: C Vomiting with an NG tube in place indicates that the NG tube needs to be repositioned by the surgeon to avoid putting stress on the gastric sutures. The nurse should implement actions to decrease skin irritation and have the patient cough and deep breathe, but these do not indicate a need for rapid notification of the surgeon. Frequent PCA use after bariatric surgery is expected.

The nurse is caring for a patient 1-day postoperative after a transverse colostomy. When assessing the stoma, which finding requires the nurse's immediate action? a. A wet, glistening stoma b. A stoma with scant marginal bleeding c. An edematous stoma d. A purplish-red stoma

ANS: D The purple hue in the new stoma is an indication of reduced perfusion to the stoma and should be reported immediately. A new stoma should have a pink or beefy red color, be slightly edematous, and have some small bleeding around the stoma

A patient who had gastric bypass surgery 5 weeks ago calls the office to report feelings of nausea, sweating, and diarrhea shortly after eating meals. What response by the nurse is most appropriate? a. "This is common after the type of surgery you had." b. "How much, if any, alcohol do you consume each day?" c. "Avoid large meals, limit sweets, and drink small amounts of liquids between meals." d. "You may be experiencing a postoperative infection."

ANS: C Some patients who have had a gastrectomy experience a complication known as the "dumping syndrome." The patient has nausea, weakness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea and may feel faint and perspire profusely or experience palpitations after eating. These sensations are caused by the rapid passage of large amounts of food and liquid into the jejunum. When a patient experiences dumping syndrome, instruction is given to avoid eating large meals and to drink a minimum of fluids during the meal. Fluids may be taken in small amounts later, between meals. If sweet foods seem to aggravate the condition—and they sometimes do—the patient should try to avoid them. Although this is not an uncommon manifestation after this type of surgery, informing the patient that this is common provides limited information to the patient and is not the best response. This problem is not connected to alcohol consumption and is not a symptom of a postoperative infection.

After vertical banded gastroplasty, a 42-year-old male patient returns to the surgical nursing unit with a nasogastric tube to low, intermittent suction and a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) machine for pain control. Which nursing action should be included in the postoperative plan of care? a. Offer sips of fruit juices at frequent intervals. b. Irrigate the nasogastric (NG) tube frequently. c. Remind the patient that PCA use may slow the return of bowel function. d. Support the surgical incision during patient coughing and turning in bed.

ANS: D The incision should be protected from strain to decrease the risk for wound dehiscence. The patient should be encouraged to use the PCA because pain control will improve the cough effort and patient mobility. NG irrigation may damage the suture line or overfill the stomach pouch. Sugar-free clear liquids are offered during the immediate postoperative time to decrease the risk for dumping syndrome.