The nurse is caring for a client who had right total knee replacement surgery 3 days ago.During the assessment,the nurse notes that the client's right lower leg is twice the size of the left.What is the nurse's priority intervention?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A common complication after total knee replacement (TKR)is the formation of a thrombus below the surgical site.This complication can lead to a pulmonary embolus and can be life threatening.Before notifying the surgeon or the emergency team,assess the client's pulmonary status to determine whether he or she has any manifestations of an embolus.The client's leg may be elevated and pedal pulses palpated,but respiratory assessment must be done first.TED hose should not be applied to a leg with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

The Nurse Is Caring for a Client Who Had Right