A Patient Is Postoperative Day 1 Following Intracranial Surgery

Multiple Choice

A patient is postoperative day 1 following intracranial surgery. The nurses assessment reveals that the patients LOC is slightly decreased compared with the day of surgery. What is the nurses best response to this assessment finding?

A) Recognize that this may represent the peak of post-surgical cerebral edema.
B) Alert the surgeon to the possibility of an intracranial hemorrhage.
C) Understand that the surgery may have been unsuccessful.
D) Recognize the need to refer the patient to the palliative care team.