Which of the following is common post-operative complicati on? - UPPSC 2022

UPPSC 2022

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: UPPSC 2022

Explanation

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a frequent and serious complication after surgery, primarily due to prolonged immobility.
The risk is explained by Virchow's triad: venous stasis (slow blood flow from bed rest), hypercoagulability (increased clotting tendency from surgical stress), and endothelial injury (damage to blood vessel walls).
Post-operative patients are often on bed rest, which promotes blood pooling in the legs, significantly increasing the risk of clot formation in the deep veins.

Option B: Gastritis, an inflammation of the stomach lining, is not a direct or common complication of most surgeries. While severe physiological stress can induce stress ulcers, it's less common than DVT.
Option C: Renal stones (kidney stones) are chronic formations related to metabolic and dietary factors. They are not an acute consequence of a surgical procedure.
Option D: Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It has no causal relationship with surgery.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Recognition of common post-operative complications as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses are central to DVT prevention. This includes assessing patient risk, ensuring prophylactic measures like sequential compression devices (SCDs) are applied correctly, administering anticoagulants as ordered, and encouraging early ambulation.
Early detection of DVT is critical. A nurse's assessment of unilateral leg pain, swelling, redness, or warmth can lead to prompt diagnosis and treatment, preventing a life-threatening pulmonary embolism (PE).
What if? If the patient had undergone a very minor procedure under local anesthesia and was able to walk immediately after, the risk of DVT would be extremely low, and it would not be considered a 'common' complication for that specific case.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the keywords in the question: 'common' and 'post-operative complication'. This means you are looking for a frequent problem that arises directly as a result of surgery.
Analyze each option based on its relationship to the post-operative state.
Consider Option A (Deep vein thrombosis): Think about the effects of surgery - immobility, bed rest. This directly leads to poor blood circulation in the legs, a major risk for clots.
Evaluate the other options: Gastritis (stomach issue, less direct link), Renal Stones (chronic, not acute post-op), Malaria (infection, unrelated to surgery).
Compare the strength of the link for each option. The link between immobility after surgery and DVT is very strong and well-established.
Conclude that DVT is the most common and direct complication among the choices provided.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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