The perioperative nurse is providing care for a patient who is recovering on the postsurgical unit following a transurethral prostate resection (TUPR). The patient is reluctant to ambulate, citing the need to recover in bed. For what complication is the patient most at risk?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Atelectasis occurs when the postoperative patient fails to move, cough, and breathe deeply. With good nursing care, this is an avoidable complication, but reduced mobility greatly increases the risk. Anemia occurs rarely and usually in situations where the patient loses a significant amount of blood or continues bleeding postoperatively. Fluid shifts postoperatively may result in dehydration and peripheral edema, but the patient is most at risk for atelectasis.

The Perioperative Nurse Is Providing Care for a Patient Who