The patient was admitted yesterday with a possible DVT.The patient is wearing antiembolic stockings.During the night,the patient calls for the nurse,complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath.The nurse finds that the patient's heart rate is 132 beats per minute,and his respirations are 32 breaths per minute.The patient also states that the calf pain that brought the patient into the hospital is worse than ever.The nurse should:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism include tachypnea,shortness of breath,anxiety,pleuritic chest pain,cough,hemoptysis,tachycardia,and signs of right ventricular failure.Pulmonary embolism is a potentially lethal complication of DVT.Notify physician immediately.
Do not massage lower extremities because of potential for dislodging thrombus.Homans' sign is a test designed to detect DVT.The patient already has that diagnosis.Homans' sign is also a less reliable test for DVT.Fewer than 20% of patients exhibit a positive Homans' sign.Edema of the extremity may or may not be present.However,this has no bearing on the symptoms of pulmonary embolism.

The Patient Was Admitted Yesterday with a Possible DVT