Final answer:
The hospitalized patient likely has vitamin K deficiency-induced coagulopathy due to prolonged NPO status and broad-spectrum antibiotic use, disrupting gut flora and resulting in bleeding. Superinfection may also be a concern.
Step-by-step explanation:
The condition presented in a hospitalized patient after surgery who has been kept NPO (nothing by mouth) for a prolonged period of time and is receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics, and then develops bleeding, is likely vitamin K deficiency leading to coagulopathy. This can occur because the gut flora, which synthesizes vitamin K, is often disrupted by the use of antibiotics. Without sufficient vitamin K, clotting factors cannot function properly, resulting in bleeding. Superinfection or secondary infection may also develop as a result of the broad-spectrum antimicrobial use, which can further compromise the patient's condition by potentially leading to conditions like sepsis if the secondary infection becomes systemic.