In caring for an immediate postpartum patient,the nurse notes petechiae and oozing from her IV site.Based on this assessment,what clotting disorder would the nurse monitor this patient closely for?
A) Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
B) Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE)
C) Hemorrhage
D) HELLP syndrome

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The diagnosis of DIC is made according to clinical findings and laboratory markers.Physical examination reveals unusual bleeding.Petechiae may appear around a blood pressure cuff on the woman's arm.Excessive bleeding may occur from the site of a slight trauma such as venipuncture sites.These symptoms are not associated with AFE,nor is AFE a bleeding disorder.Hemorrhage occurs for a variety of reasons in the postpartum patient.These symptoms are associated with DIC.Hemorrhage would be a finding associated with DIC and is not a clotting disorder in and of itself.HELLP is not a clotting disorder,but it may contribute to the clotting disorder DIC.

In Caring for an Immediate Postpartum Patient,the Nurse Notes Petechiae