Nursing care of bariatric patients

1. Your 1 week post-op bariatric patient calls and reports pus from two of her incision sites. She states that her sites became irritated with clothing and started itching so she applied Neosporin and placed bandages over them. What is the best response to provide the patient regarding her at home medical remedies?

A. You made a great decision to keep the sites covered, clothing can irritate staples

B. Although your clothing irritated your incisions, covering them with Neosporin and bandages can increase sweat and increase bacteria on the skin.

C. The pus is normal in healing incisions, scrub the sites twice a day and keep applying bandages.

2. Mr. B is using his incentive spirometer ever hour as directed. What response by the patient shows that further teaching is required?

A. I sit up during every commercial break and breathe out through the device 10 times with slow, deep breaths.

B. Sometimes after using the device I cough up clear mucous so I hold my incisions for support.

C. When I inhale through the device, I am supposed to hold my breath for a few seconds before exhaling.

3. When you enter Mrs. F’s room you find her vomiting brownish fluid and sobbing saying that she has made a huge mistake. What is the best response from the nurse?

A. Now Mrs. F, there’s no need to worry about your decision. The sleeve gastrectomy is completely reversible so you can always change your mind.

B. It’s important to remember your journey to this day, remember all that you will gain when you reach your healthy goals.

C. Mrs. F, this is a normal response to weight loss surgery. In the morning you will be fine.

4. You are caring for two fresh surgical patients, patient A has had a Roux En y and patient B has had a sleeve gastrectomy. Patient B is found drinking from the water fountain during her laps around the unit. How should the nurse correct this problem?

A. Water is not a fluid that you need to drink. It is important to drink fluids that replace electrolytes such as Gatorade or PowerAde. If you follow me back to your room, I will get you the correct fluid to drink.

B. Stop! That will rip open your incisions and cause an emergency surgery.

C. Although you are thirsty you have to refrain from drinking on your day of surgery. Your body needs time to decrease swelling so the fluids can move down your GI tract.

5. Rhonda is seeking a surgical weight loss intervention but has concerns about choosing the correct type of procedure. She is worried about having problems for the rest of her life and needing to take multiple vitamins every day. Based on her concerns, what is the best nursing response?

A. While you are concerned with vitamin deficiencies, your choice should be based on the intervention that provides the most significant weight loss.

B. While all three common interventions have risks, the adjustable band shows less vitamin deficiency related complications than the sleeve gastrectomy or the Roux En y.

C. The adjustable band has less chance of vitamin deficiencies but its takes longer to loose weight so you shouldn’t choose that option.

Nursing care of bariatric patients

More Quizzes