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Immediately after a subtotal gastrectomy, a client is admitted to the postanesthesia care unit (pacu). the nurse irrigates the nasogastric tube and observes small blood clots in the return. what is the next best nursing intervention?

1 Answer

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Clamp the tube

- Clamping the tube will increase the pressure on the gastric sutures from a concentration of gas and fluid.
2. Consider this an expected event.

- As a result of the trauma of surgery, some bleeding can be predictable for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Instill the tube with iced normal saline.

- Iced saline rarely is used because it grounds for vasoconstriction, local ischemia, and a decrease in body temperature.
4. Notify the client's surgeon of this finding

- This is not essential; this is an anticipated occurrence.

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