The nurse notes that the patient's tympanic temperature is 37.88° C (100.2° F)at 4 PM on the patient's second postoperative day.What should the nurse do initially?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should ask the patient to drink more fluid and cough and deep breathe because low-grade temperatures frequently indicate dehydration and atelectasis in postoperative patients; in addition,patient temperatures generally peak in late afternoon.The nurse evaluates the patient's temperature again in 2 hours and expects to obtain a lower temperature.If not,the nurse assesses the patient for infection and collaborates with the provider to plan care.Until the nurse tries fluid and verifies the temperature,collaborating for specimen cultures is premature; in addition,the provider potentially will not want to culture for a low-grade temperature.

The Nurse Notes That the Patient's Tympanic Temperature Is 37