A nurse on a postpartum unit is caring for a client.

Exhibits

For each finding, click to specify if the finding is consistent with uterine atony or infection. Each finding may support more than 1 disease process or none at all. There must be at least 1 selection in every column. There does not need to be a selection in every row.

A. Heart rate. The client has a heart rate of 120/min, which is tachycardia and may indicate dehydration, mania-related hyperactivity, or a response to poor nutritional status. This requires immediate follow-up to assess for cardiovascular strain or fluid imbalance.
B. Sleep pattern. While lack of sleep is concerning and a clear symptom of mania, it is a behavioral health issue that typically does not require immediate physiological intervention unless it leads to severe exhaustion or psychosis. It should be addressed, but is not the top priority.
C. Hallucinations. The client is responding to internal stimuli, indicating active psychosis, which poses a safety risk to the client and others. Hallucinations require immediate intervention to stabilize mental health and prevent harm.
D. Skin turgor. Poor skin turgor suggests dehydration, which is a priority physiological concern, especially when paired with tachycardia and failure to recall last food intake. This finding indicates the need for fluid and electrolyte evaluation and possible replacement.
E. Hygiene. The client's unclean appearance reflects self-neglect, a common feature of psychiatric decompensation, and may indicate inability to meet basic needs. This requires prompt attention to prevent complications like infection and assess for functional impairment, though it is secondary to life-threatening physiological or safety concerns.

A. Weak femoral pulses. Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital narrowing of the aorta, which leads to reduced blood flow to the lower extremities, resulting in weak or absent femoral pulses—a hallmark finding of this condition.
B. Increased intracranial pressure. This is not directly associated with coarctation of the aorta. While severe hypertension can lead to neurologic symptoms, increased ICP is not a typical or early finding.
C. Upper extremity hypotension. The condition causes hypertension in the upper extremities and hypotension in the lower extremities due to the location of the narrowing. Upper extremity hypotension would be an unexpected finding.
D. Frequent nosebleeds. While nosebleeds may occur in older children or adults with uncontrolled hypertension, they are not an expected finding in infants with coarctation of the aorta.