Question

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A 6-year-old girl had a cardiac catheterization at 9 a.m. At 11 a.m. the nurse notes hypotension as compared to baseline. Based on this assessment finding, which of the following would the nurse do first?

Check the toes' capillary refill
Check the insertion site
Assess the child's temperature
Recheck the blood pressure every 15 minutes

Answer 1

In this situation, the nurse would first check the insertion site to assess for any complications that may be causing the hypotension after the cardiac catheterization.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this situation, the nurse would first check the insertion site. Hypotension, or low blood pressure, can be a possible complication following cardiac catheterization. It is important to assess the insertion site for any signs of bleeding, infection, or other issues that may be causing the hypotension.

Checking the toes' capillary refill and rechecking the blood pressure every 15 minutes are also important interventions to monitor the child's condition, but assessing the insertion site takes priority in this scenario.