Question

During ambulation to the bathroom, a postpartum client experiences a gush of dark red blood that soon stops. On assessment, a RN finds the clients uterus to be firm and midline & at the level of the umbilicus. The nurse interprets this finding as:

a) Retained placental fragments
b) Uterine atony
c) Lochia serosa
d) Normal postpartum discharge

Answer 1

The postpartum client's gush of dark red blood followed by a firm, midline uterus at the level of the umbilicus is interpreted as normal postpartum lochia rubra, indicative of a natural and expected discharge process after childbirth.

Step-by-step explanation:

During ambulation to the bathroom, a postpartum client experiences a gush of dark red blood that soon stops. On assessment, a RN finds the client's uterus to be firm and midline & at the level of the umbilicus. The nurse interprets this finding as: normal postpartum discharge.

After the delivery of the placenta and associated membranes, known as the afterbirth, postpartum vaginal discharge called lochia occurs. This discharge is composed of uterine lining cells, erythrocytes, leukocytes, and other debris. The thick, dark, lochia rubra (red lochia) typically continues for 2-3 days after childbirth before transitioning to lochia serosa. Because the uterus of the client is firm, midline, and at the correct level, without a continued heavy bleed, this indicates that the uterine muscle is contracting properly and that there are likely no retained placental fragments or uterine atony, which could have led to increased bleeding.