A nurse is preparing to initiate intravenous fluids via infusion pump for a client.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

The correct answers are Choices A and C.

Choice A rationale: Severe hypertension in pregnancy disrupts placental perfusion and vascular integrity, increasing risk of placental abruption due to premature separation and hemorrhage, threatening both maternal and fetal outcomes.

Choice B rationale: Cervical insufficiency is linked to structural weakness or trauma, not hypertension; it typically presents with painless dilation and is unrelated to elevated blood pressure or vascular compromise.

Choice C rationale: Hypertensive encephalopathy and preeclampsia can progress to eclampsia, marked by seizures. Elevated BP increases cerebral edema and excitability, triggering convulsions if unmanaged.

Choice D rationale: Hypoglycemia is not a direct consequence of hypertension; it’s more associated with insulin dysregulation, poor intake, or medication effects, not elevated blood pressure.

Choice E rationale: Heart failure may occur in chronic hypertension but is less acute than seizure or abruption risk in this context. No signs of fluid overload or cardiac decompensation are present in the vitals.

Choice A rationale:

Keeping an abduction pillow between the client's legs is a preventive measure to avoid dislocation of the hip prosthesis. This positioning helps maintain the correct alignment of the hip joint, reducing the risk of dislocation. Abduction pillows are commonly used postoperatively after total hip arthroplasty to support proper hip positioning while the patient is in bed.

Choice B rationale:

Elevating the client's affected leg on a pillow when in bed is not recommended after total hip arthroplasty. This position could lead to hip adduction, increasing the risk of prosthesis dislocation. Maintaining abduction (spreading the legs apart) is the key to preventing dislocation, and elevation should be avoided to maintain proper alignment.

Choice C rationale:

Positioning the client's knees slightly higher than the hips when up in a chair is not an appropriate preventive measure for prosthesis dislocation. Proper alignment is crucial, and the client should avoid sitting in low chairs or on low surfaces that could cause the hips to be lower than the knees, potentially leading to dislocation.

Choice D rationale:

Raising the head of the client's bed to a high-Fowler's position is unrelated to preventing prosthesis dislocation. Fowler's position refers to elevating the head of the bed to assist with breathing and facilitate patient comfort. While this position might be suitable for certain respiratory conditions, it has no direct impact on the stability of a hip prosthesis.