Prenatal And Antepartum Support

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NCLEX-PN › Prenatal And Antepartum Support

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1

In a community clinic, a 19-year-old client at 9 weeks’ gestation (G1P0) reports light spotting and mild lower abdominal cramping for 6 hours; vital signs are temperature 98.6°F (37°C), blood pressure 110/68 mm Hg, pulse 92/min, and she reports no dizziness. She is tearful and states she has limited family support. Which finding should be REPORTED to the RN immediately?

Client reports intermittent mild cramping rated 2/10

Client reports mild nausea and food aversions

Client states she is worried and requests to talk with someone

Client reports soaking one pad per hour with bright red bleeding

Explanation

This question tests application of prenatal and antepartum care principles for recognizing and reporting urgent complications in early pregnancy. The priority framework involves identifying signs that threaten maternal and fetal well-being requiring immediate intervention. Reporting that the client is soaking one pad per hour with bright red bleeding (B) is the correct answer because this indicates heavy bleeding that could signal a threatened miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, requiring immediate medical evaluation. Mild nausea and food aversions (A) are common first-trimester symptoms that don't require urgent reporting. The client's worry and request to talk (C) indicates psychosocial needs but is not as urgent as heavy bleeding. Intermittent mild cramping rated 2/10 (D) without heavy bleeding is less concerning and common in early pregnancy. The decision-making principle is that heavy vaginal bleeding in pregnancy always requires immediate assessment to prevent hemorrhage and pregnancy loss. A transferable strategy for prioritizing nursing actions in prenatal contexts is to recognize that bleeding patterns (amount, color, duration) are critical indicators requiring prompt evaluation and reporting.