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
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.