Question

56-year-old MVA Victim, fourth day post-op with a splenectomy and femur repair. He is experiencing a new onset of shortness of breath and has a nasal cannula with 2L of oxygen in place. He is restless with slight confusion but is easily oriented with attempts from the nurse. The temperature spiked during the night to 102.4 BP now 146/94 which is slightly elevated, respiration at 30 bpm and slightly labored, heart rate 102 versus 84 from last night shift. Skin cool to touch and appears to be pale. His coughing, to clear his airways, appears ineffective. Recent Chest X-ray shows diffuse bilateral interstitial infiltrates in all lobes. Recent blood gases demonstrate falling PaO2 (hypoxemia) and increasing CO2 hypercapnia. Mr. Thompson is anxious and is obviously worsened from the shift before in overall condition.

What are the risk factors and why are they the risk factors?

Answer 1

All the problems that are raised postoperatively may be due to the infection at the operated site according to the symptoms written in the question.

So, the risk factor is infection or inflammation. It is a risk factor because by doing surgery we treated the illness of spleen but we by doing incisions we exposed the internal environment of the body to the external environment. As the internal environment has always considered sterile whereas the external environment is considered as unsterile.