Which topic is most important for the nurse to discuss preoperatively with a patient who is scheduled for a colon resection?

Which topic is most important for the nurse to discuss preoperatively with a patient who is scheduled for a colon resection?

• A. Care for the surgical incision
• B. Medications used during surgery
• C. Deep breathing and coughing techniques
• D. Oral antibiotic therapy after discharge home

Answer: (C)

The key idea is preventing postoperative pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery. Deep breathing and coughing techniques target that head-on because anesthesia and abdominal incision pain can cause shallow breaths and poor airway clearance, leading to atelectasis or pneumonia. By practicing slow, deep breaths and effective coughing (often with splinting the incision), a patient keeps the lungs well expanded, clears secretions, and improves oxygenation, which supports a smoother and faster recovery after a colon resection. While caring for the incision and understanding intraoperative medications are important, they don’t address the most common and impactful early complication occurs after this operation. Oral antibiotics after discharge are not routinely required unless a specific infection risk or protocol calls for it, so they are not the primary preoperative focus for this procedure.

The key idea is preventing postoperative pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery. Deep breathing and coughing techniques target that head-on because anesthesia and abdominal incision pain can cause shallow breaths and poor airway clearance, leading to atelectasis or pneumonia. By practicing slow, deep breaths and effective coughing (often with splinting the incision), a patient keeps the lungs well expanded, clears secretions, and improves oxygenation, which supports a smoother and faster recovery after a colon resection.

While caring for the incision and understanding intraoperative medications are important, they don’t address the most common and impactful early complication occurs after this operation. Oral antibiotics after discharge are not routinely required unless a specific infection risk or protocol calls for it, so they are not the primary preoperative focus for this procedure.