A patient who is 33 weeks pregnant has been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions.Which information should the nurse include in responding to this patient?

This is because pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) can cause eclampsia, a condition characterized by seizures and coma.Eclampsia can occur during pregnancy, labor, or postpartum.

A nurse should monitor the client for signs of increased blood pressure, headache, blurred vision, epigastric pain, and hyperreflexia, which may indicate an impending convulsion.

Choice A is wrong because hemorrhage is not a common complication of PIH.

Hemorrhage may occur due to other causes such as uterine atony, lacerations, or retained placenta.

Choice B is wrong because urinary retention is not a common complication of PIH.

Urinary retention may occur due to other causes such as anesthesia, trauma, or infection.

Choice D is wrong because thrombophlebitis is not a common complication of PIH.

Thrombophlebitis is a condition where a blood clot forms in a vein and causes inflammation.

It may occur due to other risk factors such as immobility, dehydration, or injury.

The correct answer is choice C. Have a suction catheter available for use at delivery.This is because meconium-stained amniotic fluid indicates that the fetus has passed meconium (first stool) before birth, which can be a sign of fetal distress or hypoxia.Meconium can block the airways and cause breathing problems for the newborn, so suctioning the mouth and nose (or the trachea if needed) is important to prevent meconium aspiration syndrome.

Choice A is wrong because taking the mother’s vital signs every 15 minutes is not a specific intervention for meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

Vital signs should be monitored regularly during labor regardless of the fluid color.

Choice B is wrong because sending a specimen of the fluid to the laboratory for analysis is not a priority action.The color and consistency of the fluid can be observed by the nurse and documented.

The laboratory analysis will not change the immediate management of the newborn.

Choice D is wrong because preparing a slide of the fluid for fern testing is not relevant for meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

Fern testing is used to confirm the rupture of membranes by detecting a fern-like pattern of amniotic fluid under a microscope.It is not useful for assessing the presence or severity of meconium-stained amniotic fluid.