Post Cardiac Surgery

Cardiac surgery — including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve repair/replacement — carries specific post-operative risks that require specialized nursing assessment in the intensive care unit. The cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit causes a systemic inflammatory response, coagulopathy, hypothermia, and transient organ dysfunction. The immediate post-operative period (0–6 hours) is the highest risk window for hemorrhage, hemodynamic instability, dysrhythmias, and respiratory failure. NCLEX-RN priorities: recognizing cardiac tamponade from chest tube drainage, managing post-operative hypertension, identifying atrial fibrillation (most common post-CABG complication), and knowing ventilator weaning parameters. On the exam, writers often pair stable-sounding options with unstable data—notice the mismatch before you commit. If the stem names a license or role, reread that line; scope errors are classic trap answers even when the clinical topic is familiar. Run a 60-second scan: breathing work and oxygenation, perfusion and end organs, neuro baseline, likely infection sources, and devices that can fail quietly. When two answers feel partly right, pick the one that reduces imminent harm and matches orders for the role you were given. Train yourself to state the primary risk in one...