A nurse is caring for a 32-year-old pregnant woman who is admitted to the obstet

Question

A nurse is caring for a 32-year-old pregnant woman who is admitted to the obstetric unit with the chief complaint of right-sided leg pain and swelling for 3 days. The patient is in her third trimester of pregnancy. When the nurse collects her history, she states she has been healthy, with no known medical problems in the past. She does not take medications at this time but gives a history of using oral birth control pills before she became pregnant On physical exam, the nurse notes that the right leg is larger than the left with increased swelling and pain on palpation of the calf muscle. The admitting diagnosis is right-sided deep vein thrombosis Reviewing the information given, what risk factors does this patient have that could increase her chance of development of a clot? Are there other risk factors the nurse should consider? This patient because she is pregnant is prescribed heparin intravenously as treatment for the clot. Describe how this drug works. How does heparin impact the normal clotting process? (Learning Objectives 6, 7, 8)

Explanation / Answer

1. The risk factors that the patient have that could increase her chance of development of clot are abnormal clotting,reduced blood flow and damage to the veins.It is a case of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

It can be treated by wearing compression stockings and taking heparin, an anti coagulant medicine.

2. Heparin is used to stop blood clots with in the cells during pregnancy.Heparin works by inactivating thrombin in the clotting process.This stops the formation of fibrin and so stops blood clots forming.

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