In an assessment of a patient who has been receiving intravenous (IV)fluids for the past 6 hours, a nurse finds that the pulse is now bounding, the blood pressure is more than 15 mm Hg higher than the last reading, and pedal edema has developed.What should the nurse suspect?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms described (bounding pulse, elevated blood pressure, and pedal edema) are consistent with an excess of fluid in the vascular system, a condition known as vascular fluid volume excess or hypervolemia. This could be due to excessive administration of IV fluids, or a condition such as heart failure or kidney disease. Infiltration of the IV site, pulmonary air embolism, and phlebitis of the leg veins would likely present with different symptoms.

In an Assessment of a Patient Who Has Been Receiving