Questions: A nurse is documenting on a client who has had an appendectomy. During a dressing change of the surgical site, the nurse observed a pale pink drainage on the dressing. Which drainage type should the nurse document? serous serosanguineous sanguineous purulent

A nurse is documenting on a client who has had an appendectomy. During a dressing change of the surgical site, the nurse observed a pale pink drainage on the dressing. Which drainage type should the nurse document?
serous
serosanguineous
sanguineous
purulent

Transcript text: A nurse is documenting on a client who has had an appendectomy. During a dressing change of the surgical site, the nurse observed a pale pink drainage on the dressing. Which drainage type should the nurse document? serous serosanguineous sanguineous purulent

Solution

The answer is the second one: serosanguineous.

Explanation for each option:

Serous: This type of drainage is typically clear or slightly yellow and watery. It is not pale pink, so this option is incorrect.
Serosanguineous: This type of drainage is a mixture of serous fluid and blood, which gives it a pale pink color. Since the nurse observed pale pink drainage, this is the correct option.
Sanguineous: This type of drainage is primarily composed of blood, making it bright red. Pale pink drainage does not match this description, so this option is incorrect.
Purulent: This type of drainage is usually thick and can be yellow, green, or brown, often indicating infection. It is not pale pink, so this option is incorrect.

In summary, the nurse should document the drainage as serosanguineous, as it best describes the pale pink color observed.

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