Question

What are the essential postoperative orders for a patient who just had a Total Knee Replacement (TKR)?

1) Administer prescribed pain medications regularly
2) Monitor vital signs every hour
3) Encourage early ambulation and physical therapy
4) Maintain strict bed rest for 24 hours
5) All of the above

Answer 1

Essential postoperative orders after a Total Knee Replacement include administering prescribed pain medication, monitoring vital signs, and encouraging early ambulation and physical therapy. Maintaining strict bed rest for 24 hours is not advised, as movement aids in recovery. (option 3)

Step-by-step explanation:

After a Total Knee Replacement (TKR), several essential postoperative orders are crucial for the patient’s safe recovery and rehabilitation. These orders include:

1. Administer prescribed pain medications regularly to manage postoperative pain and facilitate rehabilitation.
2. Monitor vital signs to detect any signs of complication or adverse reaction to the surgery or medications.
3. Encourage early ambulation and physical therapy to aid in the recovery process and help prevent complications such as blood clots or stiffness in the knee joint.

However, maintaining strict bed rest for 24 hours post-surgery is not typically advised as it may hinder a patient’s recovery. Instead, the focus is on gradual and controlled movement and weight bearing according to the patient’s tolerance and under the guidance of a physical therapist. Proper alignment of the prosthetic knee is essential and is ensured by the surgical team during the operation utilizing various techniques and tools to achieve the correct positioning and orientation of the knee components.

Hence, the answer is option 3