A nurse is caring for a 28-year-old female client who is 2 days postpartum in the postpartum unit following a cesarean birth. For each finding below, click to specify if the finding is consistent with the disease process of lactational mastitis, postpartum endometritis, or postpartum hemorrhage. Each finding may support more than one disease process.

Exhibits

For each finding below, click to specify if the finding is consistent with the disease process of lactational mastitis, postpartum endometritis, or postpartum hemorrhage. Each finding may support more than one disease process.

Choice A rationale

A displaced fundus from the midline, often deviated to the right and boggy, suggests a full bladder interfering with uterine contraction and involution. A distended bladder prevents the uterus from clamping down effectively, increasing the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. Immediate intervention is required to assist the client in emptying her bladder, which should allow the uterus to return to the midline and contract firmly.

Choice B rationale

A fundal height below the umbilicus on the first postpartum day is a normal finding. Following delivery, the uterus begins to descend approximately one fingerbreadth (1 cm) per day. Therefore, a fundus below the umbilicus at 24 hours postpartum indicates normal uterine involution.

Choice C rationale

A decreased urge to void is common in the immediate postpartum period due to factors such as perineal swelling, pain, and the effects of anesthesia. While it's important to monitor urinary output, a decreased urge to void in the first 24 hours is not typically considered a finding requiring immediate intervention unless accompanied by other signs of urinary retention or bladder distension.

Choice D rationale

Increased urine output is also a normal finding in the postpartum period as the body eliminates excess fluid volume accumulated during pregnancy. Diuresis typically begins within 12 to 24 hours after delivery and can last for several days. This is a physiological process and does not require immediate intervention.

Choice A rationale

Hydralazine is an antihypertensive medication used to manage hypertension, not preterm labor. Administering hydralazine would be inappropriate for a client in preterm labor unless she also has hypertension.

Choice B rationale

Preparing the client for immediate delivery based solely on a lecithin-to-sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio of 1: is premature. An L/S ratio of 2: or greater is generally indicative of fetal lung maturity. A ratio of 1: suggests lung immaturity, and interventions to promote lung maturity are indicated.

Choice C rationale

Infusing a bolus of IV fluids might be considered for hydration in preterm labor, but it does not directly address the issue of fetal lung immaturity indicated by the low L/S ratio. While hydration can help manage preterm contractions in some cases, it is not the primary intervention to improve fetal lung maturity.

Choice D rationale

Administering betamethasone, a corticosteroid, is the appropriate action for a client in preterm labor with a low L/S ratio (1:). Betamethasone crosses the placenta and stimulates the production of surfactant in the fetal lungs, accelerating lung maturity and reducing the risk of respiratory distress syndrome in the preterm infant. The typical dose is 12 mg IM, given in two doses 24 hours apart. .