Question

After a heart catheterization a client reports severe foot pain on the side of the femoral stick. The nurse notes pulselessness, pallor, and a cold extremity. What should be the nurse's first action?

1. Administer an anticoagulant.
2. Warm the room.
3. Increase intravenous (IV) fluids.
4. Notify the primary healthcare provider stat.

Answer 1

The nurse should immediately notify the primary healthcare provider if a patient has severe foot pain and signs of a compromised extremity after heart catheterization.

The correct answer is option 4. Notify the primary healthcare provider stat.

Step-by-step explanation:

After a heart catheterization, if a client reports severe foot pain on the side of the femoral stick and exhibits signs of pulselessness, pallor, and a cold extremity, the nurse's first action should be to notify the primary healthcare provider stat.

These symptoms could indicate a serious complication such as a femoral artery occlusion, which requires immediate medical intervention.

Administering an anticoagulant or increasing IV fluids without a proper assessment could be harmful, and warming the room would not address the underlying vascular issue.