The person is admitted with injuries that were sustained in a fall. During the nurse's first assessment upon admission, the findings are: blood pressure 90/60 (as compared to 136/66 in the emergency department), flaccid paralysis on the right, absent bowel sounds, zero urine output and palpation of a distended bladder. What are these signs consistent with?

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These signs are consistent with spinal shock, which is a condition that can occur after a spinal cord injury. Spinal shock is characterized by a temporary loss of reflexes, motor, sensory, and autonomic function below the level of injury. The symptoms such as flaccid paralysis, absent bowel sounds, and a distended bladder (indicating urinary retention) are indicative of autonomic dysfunction, which is a hallmark of spinal shock. The drop in blood pressure from the emergency department to admission could also be related to the autonomic dysfunction affecting vascular tone and cardiac output.

The Person Is Admitted with Injuries That Were Sustained in a Fall