A patient scheduled to undergo a left femoral-popliteal bypass graft has poor perfusion to the left lower extremity. Due to the poor perfusion, which of the following interventions should the nurse complete before the procedure?

Explanation

• Due to poor perfusion, the nurse should assess and document evidence of weak peripheral pulses before the surgery to correct this.

• The nurse should mark the location of the dorsal pedal and posterior tibial pulses to establish a baseline for comparison after the procedure. 

• It is common for these patients to have faint pulses, so a doppler may be used, and pulses will be marked and documented on each side as absent, +1, +2,  or +3. After surgery, this baseline will provide information to assess for changes.

• Incorrect: Coagulation studies, vital signs, and a preoperative checklist are routine preoperative interventions for most procedures, but this question asked about interventions specific to poor perfusion to the extremity.

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