Question

You are a nurse in a medical-surgical hospital unit caring for a patient who had an open cholecystectomy 3 days earlier. Subsequently, the patient developed a paralytic ileus. Additional complications require continued postoperative antibiotic infusions. (Learning Objectives 2, 3, and 5)

a. What nursing assessment finding could indicate the presence of a paralytic ileus?

b. Which medical interventions could have contributed to the development of your patient’s paralytic ileus?

c. How long would you expect the paralytic ileus to last?

d. In what ways would you expect a paralytic ileus to resolve?

e. List possible nursing diagnoses for this patient related to the surgical procedure and postoperative complications.

Answer 1

1)Nursing assessment that could indicate the presence of paralytic ilues is hypoactive bowel sounds and decreased peristalsis.

2)The most common for the development of paralytic ilues is postoperative state.Ilues is expected as the most common consequence of abdominal surgery.

3)It resolves spontaneously between 2-3 days and it becomes normal.

4) Intravenous hydration should be given and they should resolve under supportive treatment and waiting.

5)They have risk of impaired bowel elimination which is related toto surgery.