Chapter 19: Nursing Management of Pregnancy at Risk: Pregnancy-Related Complications

A pregnant client is admitted to a health care unit with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Which prescription is the nurse most likely to receive regarding the therapy for such a client?

Administer cryoprecipitate and platelets.

A primigravida 28-year-old client is noted to have Rh negative blood and her husband is noted to be Rh positive. The nurse should prepare to administer RhoGAM after which diagnostic procedure?

Amniocentesis

A nurse in the maternity triage unit is caring for a client with a suspected ectopic pregnancy. Which nursing intervention should the nurse perform first?

Assess the client's vital signs.

The nurse is comforting and listening to a young couple who just suffered a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage). When asked why this happened, which reason should the nurse share as a common cause?

Chromosomal abnormality

A woman is being closely monitored and treated for severe preeclampsia with magnesium sulfate. Which finding would alert the nurse to the development of magnesium toxicity in this client?

diminished reflexes

A nurse is monitoring a client with PROM who is in labor and observes meconium in the amniotic fluid. What does the observation of meconium indicate?

fetal distress related to hypoxia

A client at 11 weeks' gestation experiences pregnancy loss. The client asks the nurse if the bleeding and cramping that occurred during the miscarriage were caused by working long hours in a stressful environment. What is the most appropriate response from the nurse?

"I can understand your need to find an answer to what caused this. Let's talk about this further."

A nurse is preparing a nursing care plan for a client who is admitted at 22 weeks' gestation with advanced cervical dilation (dilatation) to 5 cm, cervical insufficiency, and a visible amniotic sac at the cervical opening. Which primary goal should the nurse prioritize at this point?

Bed rest to maintain pregnancy as long as possible

A 32-year-old gravida 3 para 2 at 36 weeks' gestation comes to the obstetric department reporting abdominal pain. Her blood pressure is 164/90 mm Hg, her pulse is 100 beats per minute, and her respirations are 24 per minute. She is restless and slightly diaphoretic with a small amount of dark red vaginal bleeding. What assessment should the nurse make next?

Palpate the fundus and check fetal heart rate.

A client at 27 weeks' gestation is admitted to the obstetric unit after reporting headaches and edema of her hands. Review of the prenatal notes reveals blood pressure consistently above 136/90 mm Hg. The nurse anticipates the health care provider will prescribe magnesium sulfate to accomplish which primary goal?

Prevent maternal seizures

The nurse is caring for a woman at 32 weeks' gestation with severe preeclampsia. Which assessment finding should the nurse prioritize after the administration of hydralazine to this client?

Tachycardia

A woman with an incomplete abortion is to receive misoprostol. The woman asks the nurse, "Why am I getting this drug?" The nurse responds to the client, integrating understanding that this drug achieves which effect?

ensures passage of all the products of conception

A 24-year-old client presents in labor. The nurse notes there is an order to administer Rho(D) immune globulin after the birth of her infant. When asked by the client the reason for this injection, which reason should the nurse point out?

prevent maternal D antibody formation

A client who is 8 weeks' pregnant comes to the emergency department reporting abdominal pain and spotting. The client also reports breast tenderness and fatigue. Additional assessment suggests a possible ectopic pregnancy and diagnostic evaluation is scheduled. The nurse would prepare the client for which test(s) to aid in confirming this diagnosis? Select all that apply.

transvaginal ultrasound beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level

A woman of 16 weeks' gestation telephones the nurse because she has passed some "berry-like" blood clots and now has continued dark brown vaginal bleeding. Which action would the nurse instruct the woman to do?

"Come to the health facility with any vaginal material passed."

A woman at 28 weeks' gestation has been hospitalized with moderate bleeding that is now stabilizing. The nurse performs a routine assessment and notes the client sleeping, lying on the back, and electronic fetal heart rate (FHR) monitor showing gradually increasing baseline with late decelerations. Which action will the nurse perform first?

Reposition the client to left side.

A pregnant woman is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of placenta previa. Which action would be the priority for this woman on admission?

assessing fetal heart tones by use of an external monitor

A pregnant woman is diagnosed with placental abruption (abruptio placentae). When reviewing the woman's physical assessment in her medical record, which finding would the nurse expect?

firm, rigid uterus on palpation

A nurse has been assigned to assess a pregnant client for placental abruption (abruptio placentae). For which classic manifestation of this condition should the nurse assess?

"knife-like" abdominal pain with vaginal bleeding

A woman in her 20s has experienced a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) at 10 weeks' gestation and asks the nurse at the hospital what went wrong. She is concerned that she did something that caused her to lose her baby. The nurse can reassure the woman by explaining that the most common cause of miscarriage in the first trimester is related to which factor?

Chromosomal defects in the fetus