[ANSWER]NUR2203 Assignment 1: Postoperative Care Plan for a Laparotomy Patient

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Postoperative Care Plan for a Laparotomy Patient: One of the clinical issues that should be prioritized for George in the first 24 hours after surgery is the risk of severe pain. This is a common complication after laparotomy (Chand et al., 2016). Just after returning from the theatre, George’s pain score is 6/10. This is a considerably intense level of pain and could deteriorate in the first 24 hours following the operation. If not effectively managed, acute pain following laparotomy can increase the risk of postoperative complications and even death in some cases (Ilyas et al., 2018). [Postoperative Care Plan]

Such complications include pulmonary complications (e.g., pneumonia and atelectasis), cardiac complications (e.g., ischemia), thromboembolism, as well as psychological distress (Ilyas et al., 2018; Kirchhoff et al., 2010). George already has a history of myocardial infarction, which puts him at a significant risk of cardiac complications if his postoperative pain is not controlled effectively. 

Acute pain following laparotomy involves both somatic pain (associated with the incision) and visceral pain (associated with peritoneal inflammation) (Ilyas et al., 2018). Whereas both types of pain should be considered to ensure effective pain management postoperatively, greater attention should be paid to somatic pain. This is because somatic pain is different from visceral in that the latter…[Buy Full Answer for Just USD 9: 2856 WORDS] [Postoperative Care Plan]

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Grade/Mark: 96 (Distinction) [Postoperative Care Plan]

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