Question

Following a motor vehicle collision, an adult female with a ruptured spleen and a blood pressure of 70/44, had an emergency splenectomy. Twelve hours after the surgery, her urine output is 25 ml/hour for the last two hours. What pathophysiological reason supports the nurse's decision to report this finding to the healthcare provider?

Answer 1

The nurse should report the finding of decreased urine output to the healthcare provider due to the possible pathophysiological reason of circulatory shock.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should report the finding of urine output of 25 ml/hour for the last two hours to the healthcare provider because it is a significant decrease in urine output and indicates a possible pathophysiological reason related to the patient's condition. In this case, the patient had a ruptured spleen and underwent an emergency splenectomy, which could have resulted in circulatory shock. Circulatory shock is a life-threatening condition that impairs blood flow and oxygen delivery to the tissues. Decreased urine output is one of the signs of circulatory shock.