The telephone triage nurse receives a call from a patient who is 5 days postoperative total abdominal hysterectomy. The patient states that her pain is not relieved with the medications and that she has noticed blood in her urine. The nurse instructs the patient to report immediately to the emergency department. What does the nurse suspect as the surgical complication?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of blood in the urine suggests a possible injury to the urinary tract, such as the ureters or bladder. This is a serious surgical complication and requires immediate medical attention in the emergency department. Possible complications related to anesthesia, hemorrhage from the internal incision, or peritoneal venous thromboembolism cannot be ruled out but are not supported by the symptoms reported by the patient.

The Telephone Triage Nurse Receives a Call from a Patient