The nurse is caring for a patient with thrombocytopenia who has developed epistaxis. In order to stop the bleeding, the patient should:
Explanation
• To help stop epistaxis (nose bleed), the patient should sit upright while leaning forward slightly. This helps avoid aspiration of blood and increasing pressure in the nose
• Lying down or supine will increase the risk of aspiration
• Bending at the waist increases pressure of the vascular system and will increase bleeding
• Blowing will dislodge the clot and increase bleeding