Reference no: EM133764009

Question

You are caring for a 62 y/o female that was admitted for acute lower abdominal pain which was the result of a ruptured appendix. She had an open appendectomy and is now post-operative day three. She refuses to use the incentive spirometer or get up in the chair and requires encouragement to get out of bed and ambulate on the unit. Her appetite is poor, and she eats a small portion of her meals but tolerates and drinks fluids readily. She has had 2200 mL intake to 1800 mL urine in the past 24 hours. She denies nausea and has not had a bowel movement since surgery despite receiving milk of magnesia and senna tabs daily. Her abdomen is obese, rounded, firm and tender to palpation with hypoactive bowel sounds. Her incision site in his RLQ has no drainage; swelling and mild erythema along the edge of the incision. The patient puts on her call light. When you arrive in the room, she states she feels nauseated. She has an order for ondansetron 4 mg IV every 4 hours PRN for nausea, and this is administered. Approximately 25 minutes later she puts on her call light on again, stating that.