Question

Maternal hypotension is a potential side effect of regional anesthesia and analgesia. What nursing interventions could you use to raise the client's blood pressure? Choose all that apply.

A) Place the woman in a supine position.
B) Place the woman in a lateral position.
C) Increase intravenous (IV) fluids.
D) Continuous Fetal Monitor
E) Administer ephedrine per MD order

Answer 1

To manage maternal hypotension due to regional anesthesia, a nurse should place the woman in a lateral position, increase IV fluids, and administer ephedrine per doctor's orders. A Continuous Fetal Monitor is also used for fetal assessment.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the case of maternal hypotension following regional anesthesia, there are several nursing interventions that can help to raise the client's blood pressure. These include:

• Place the woman in a lateral position rather than supine, to prevent compression of the vena cava and improve venous return.
• Increase intravenous (IV) fluids to quickly expand blood volume and support blood pressure.
• Administer ephedrine per MD order, which can stimulate cardiac output and cause peripheral vasoconstriction to elevate blood pressure.

Monitoring with a Continuous Fetal Monitor is important to assess fetal well-being, but it is not a direct intervention to increase maternal blood pressure.