A 10-year-old male is admitted to the hospital with a fracture of the left femur. The patient is placed in skeletal traction for 2 days. The nurse immediately suspects peripheral neurovascular impairment due to:

Explanation

•Assess neurovascular status of left lower extremity, including temperature, color, pulses, edema, and capillary refill.

•Compare findings with the unaffected extremity. Children in traction need to be assessed carefully for neurovascular impairment, as do children in casts.

•The extremity in traction should be checked every 15 min during the first hour, hourly for 24 h, and every 4 h thereafter for any signs of pallor, coldness, tingling, absent peripheral pulse, edema or pain.

•Muscle spasms, tenderness, and abnormal mobility are not early manifestations of neurovascular impairment.