Question

The nurse is monitoring a patient's postoperative course after an appendectomy. The nurse's assessment reveals that the patient has vomited, has abdominal tenderness and rigidity, and has tachycardia. The nurse's report to the physician is that the patient has signs/symptoms of which of the following complications?

1) Peritonitis
2) Pelvic abscess
3) Ileus
4) Hemorrhage

Answer 1

The patient's symptoms of vomiting, abdominal tenderness and rigidity, and tachycardia after an appendectomy are indicative of peritonitis, a life-threatening inflammation of the peritoneum that can arise from contamination or a burst appendix.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient's postoperative symptoms following an appendectomy, which include vomiting, abdominal tenderness and rigidity, and tachycardia, suggest a complication that could be life-threatening. These symptoms align with the condition known as peritonitis, which is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity. Postoperative peritonitis can occur when an incision from an appendectomy becomes contaminated or the appendix bursts prior to removal, allowing contents to spill into the peritoneal cavity. This can lead to a severe bacterial infection requiring emergency surgery and intensive antibiotic therapy.

The alternative complications listed, such as pelvic abscess, ileus, and hemorrhage, may present with some similar symptoms like abdominal pain or changes in vital signs, but the presence of vomiting and the specific combination of symptoms given align more closely with peritonitis, particularly following an appendectomy. Therefore, the correct complication the nurse's assessment points to is peritonitis.