During augmentation of labor with intravenous oxytocin (Pitocin), a multiparous client becomes pale and diaphoretic and complains of severe lower abdominal pain with a tearing sensation. An abnormal FHR tracing is noted on the monitor. The nurse should suspect:

A. The patient's blood pressure dropped from 160/120 to 130/90. Hydralazine is an antihypertensive medication used to lower blood pressure in conditions such as eclampsia. A reduction in blood pressure indicates that the medication is achieving its intended effect of controlling hypertension, reducing the risk of complications like stroke or organ damage.

B. The patient states that her headache is gone. While headaches are a symptom of severe hypertension, their resolution does not directly confirm the effectiveness of hydralazine. Other factors, such as pain relief or improved postpartum recovery, could contribute to headache relief.

C. The patient's postoperative weight has dropped from 155 to 144 pounds. Postpartum weight loss is expected due to fluid shifts and loss of pregnancy-related fluids, but it is not a direct measure of hydralazine’s effectiveness. The medication does not act as a diuretic or weight-loss agent.

D. The patient has had no seizures since delivery. While hydralazine helps lower blood pressure, preventing seizures in eclamptic patients is primarily managed with magnesium sulfate, not hydralazine. The absence of seizures is important but does not indicate the specific effectiveness of this antihypertensive medication.

A. Systemic analgesics cross the maternal blood-brain barrier as easily as they do the fetal blood-brain barrier. While systemic analgesics do cross the placenta, they actually affect the fetus more readily than the mother because the fetal liver and kidneys are immature, making drug metabolism and excretion slower. This leads to prolonged effects on the newborn.

B. Effects on the fetus and newborn can include decreased alertness and delayed sucking. Opioid analgesics, such as fentanyl, meperidine, or morphine, can cause neonatal respiratory depression, reduced alertness, and difficulty initiating breastfeeding due to delayed sucking reflex. If administered too close to delivery, the newborn may require respiratory support or naloxone to reverse opioid effects.

C. Intravenous (IV) patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) results in increased use of an analgesic. PCA allows controlled dosing of pain medication, often leading to less total medication use because the patient receives smaller, more frequent doses rather than large, single doses. This helps maintain stable pain control without excessive sedation.

D. Intramuscular (IM) administration is preferred over IV administration. IV administration is preferred over IM because it provides faster pain relief and better dose control. IM injections have delayed absorption and an unpredictable effect, making IV the preferred route for labor analgesia.