Practice Question
A nurse is assessing a client who had a total abdominal hysterectomy 24 hr ago. Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as a potential postoperative complication?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Urine output 25 mL/hr
Rationale:
💧 Normal urine output should be at least 30 mL/hr, which reflects adequate renal perfusion and fluid balance.
💧 25 mL/hr is below this threshold, raising concern for hypovolemia, decreased kidney perfusion, or possible acute kidney injury.
💧 In a post-op client, low urine output may indicate bleeding, dehydration, or shock, all of which are serious complications.
💧 This finding requires prompt assessment and possible provider notification.
💧 Therefore, 25 mL/hr urine output is a potential postoperative complication that must be recognized.
Hypoactive bowel sounds.
💧 After abdominal surgery, it is common and expected for bowel function to be slowed or hypoactive for the first 24–72 hours.
💧 Anesthesia, opioid use, and bowel manipulation all contribute to temporary decreased peristalsis.
💧 Hypoactive bowel sounds alone, at 24 hours post-op, are therefore considered a normal postoperative finding, not necessarily a complication.
💧 The nurse should still monitor for return of bowel function, but immediate alarm is not warranted solely from this finding.
💧 Thus, this is not the best indicator of a complication compared with low urine output.
Minimal amount of serosanguineous drainage on the abdominal dressing.
💧 A small amount of serosanguineous drainage is often expected after surgery, especially within the first 24 hours.
💧 The key concern would be if the drainage were excessive, bright red, or rapidly increasing, indicating active bleeding.
💧 Minimal drainage suggests the wound is relatively stable, and the dressing is functioning appropriately.
💧 This does not indicate wound dehiscence or hemorrhage at this point.
💧 Therefore, this is a normal postoperative finding, not a complication.
Temperature of 37.8° C (100.1° F).
💧 A mild low-grade temperature elevation (up to around 38° C / 100.4° F) in the first 24–48 hours post-op can be normal due to inflammatory response.
💧 It may reflect atelectasis or normal healing rather than frank infection.
💧 A more concerning fever pattern would be persistent temperatures over 38° C, or associated signs of infection at the wound, lungs, or urinary tract.
💧 At 37.8° C, this client’s temperature is only slightly elevated and not clearly indicative of a serious complication yet.
💧 Thus, it is less concerning than the subnormal urine output.
Want to practice more questions like this?
This question is from RN Fundamentals 2023 EXAM 7 which contains 69 questions.
More Questions from This Exam
A nurse is caring for a client who has a urinary tract infection.
Answer Choices:
A nurse is caring for a client on a medical-surgical unit.
Answer Choices:
A nurse is teaching a newly licensed nurse about the use of a fentanyl transdermal patch. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?
Answer Choices:
A nurse is preparing to transfer a client who is immobile and weighs 104.3 kg (230 lb) from the bed to a stretcher. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?
Answer Choices:
A nurse is caring for an adult client who requires nasopharyngeal suctioning. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Answer Choices:
Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: RN ATI Fundamentals of Nursing
- Answer Choices: 4