Compartment syndrome and Fat emboli Practice questions

A nurse is caring for a client immediately following application of a plaster cast. The nurse should monitor for and report which of the following findings as an indication of compartment syndrome?

A. Sensation of heat on the surface of the cast

B. Paresthesias of the extremity

C. Pruritus of the extremity

D. Musty odor noted from cast materials

B. Paresthesias of the extremity

A nurse is caring for a school-aged child who had an arm cast applied 8 hours ago. Which of the following findings should alert the nurse to a complication related to the casting?

A. The child reports a pain level of 5 on a scale of 0 to 10

B. The child's hands are cool bilaterally

C. The child reports tightness at the wrist

D. The child's grasp is weak

C. The child reports tightness at the wrist

A nurse is assessing a client who had a cast applied following a compound fracture of the femur. Which of the following findings is a manifestation of a fat embolism?

A. Dyspnea

B. Reduced bowel sounds

C. Swelling of the toes distal to the injury

D. Pain with passive movement of the foot distal to the injury

A. Dyspnea

Which of the following would a nurse expect on assessment of a client with fat embolism syndrome after femur fracture? (Select all that apply.)

A. Pain with movement of the affected extremity

B. Restlessness and confusion

C. Fever

D. Petechial rash on the neck, chest, and axilla

B. Restlessness and confusion

C. Fever

D. Petechial rash on the neck, chest, and axilla

A client presents to the clinic with a cast on the upper extremity after a fracture of the distal humerus. Which of the following statements is the most urgent priority for assessment?

A. "My skin is persistently itchy underneath my cast, so I have been scratching it with a chopstick."

B. "I can't extend my fingers today."

C. "There's a bad smell coming from a warm patch on my cast."

D. "My pain medications make me sick to my stomach."

B. I can't extend my fingers today

A nurse is assessing a client who had an external fixation device applied 2 hr ago for a fracture of the left tibia and fibula. Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as a manifestation of compartment syndrome?

(Select all that apply.)

A. Intense pain when the client's left foot is passively moved

B. Capillary refill of 2 seconds on the client's toes on the affected side.

C. Hard, swollen muscle in the client's left leg

D. Client report of burning and tingling of the left foot

E. Client report of minimal pain relief following a second dose of opioid medication

A. Intense pain when the client's left foot is passively moved

C. Hard, swollen muscle in the client's left leg

D. Client report of burning and tingling of the left foot

E. Client report of minimal pain relief following a second dose of opioid medication

A nurse is caring for a client with a cast after reduction of a tibial fracture. The nurse understands that which of the following is a symptom of compartment syndrome?

A. Intense muscle pain, numbness, burning, and a feeling of tight muscles

B. Blistering rash, sweating, and high fever

C. Abdominal fullness, belching, nausea, and flatulence

D. Muscle cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting

A. Intense muscle pain, numbness, burning, and a feeling of tight muscles

A nurse is caring for a client admitted a day earlier after repair of a femur fracture who is agitated and short of breath. Physical examination reveals petechiae on the chest and abdomen. Which of the following is most likely

the cause of these symptoms?

A. Deep vein thrombosis

B. Myocardial infarction

C. Fat embolism

D. Ruptured aortic aneurysm

C. Fat embolism

A nurse is assessing a client who has a fractured left femur and is in skeletal traction. Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the provider?

A. Ecchymosis of the thigh

B. Serous drainage at the pin site

C. Chest petechiae

D. Muscle spasms in the left leg

C. Chest petechiae

A nurse is caring for a school-aged child who had an arm cast applied 8 hours ago. Which of the following findings should alert the nurse to a complication related to the casting?

A. The child reports a pain level of 5 on a scale of 0 to 10

B. The child's hands are cool bilaterally

C. The child reports tightness at the wrist

D. The child's grasp is weak

C. The child reports tightness at the wrist

A nurse is teaching a client who has a cast on his left arm to treat a forearm fracture. Which of the following statements indicates that the client understands the teaching?

A. "I'll call the doctor's office if my fingers get colder on the arm with the cast."

B. "If I have any itching under the cast, I'll try to reach the area with a cotton swab."

C. "If my fingers swell, I should put a heating pad on them and rest."

D. "If I have any tingling under my cast, I'll know I need to move my fingers more.

A. “I'll call the doctor's office if my fingers get colder on the arm with the cast.