Question

A patient with a diagnosis of colon cancer is 2 days postoperative following bowel resection and anastomosis. The nurse has planned the patient's care in the knowledge of potential complications. What assessment should the nurse prioritize?

A. Close monitoring of temperature
B. Frequent abdominal auscultation
C. Assessment of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell levels
D. Palpation of peripheral pulses and leg girth

Answer 1

The nurse should prioritize the patient's temperature to detect infection, conduct frequent abdominal auscultation to assess bowel function, and check hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell levels for postoperative bleeding.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should prioritize close monitoring of temperature following bowel resection and anastomosis in a patient with colon cancer, to detect signs of infection or sepsis. Additionally, the nurse should perform frequent abdominal auscultation to assess bowel sounds, indicating the return of bowel function or possible complications such as ileus or bowel obstruction. The assessment of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell levels is important to identify potential postoperative bleeding. While palpation of peripheral pulses and leg girth can be part of routine postoperative care to detect potential blood clots, the other three assessments are more directly related to the patient's recent bowel resection surgery.