What requires immediate follow-up for a child after having a tonsillectomy?
A. Sore throat
B. Frequent swallowing
C. Heart rate of 110 beats/min
D. Persistent crying
A is incorrect.
It’s expected for the child to have a sore throat after having surgery there. Of course!
B is correct.
Frequent swallowing means that there could be bleeding so it’s essential to assess the throat for bleeding.
C is incorrect.
It wouldn’t be unusual to find this in a child after surgery.
D is incorrect.
It’s important to find out why the child is crying, but if you had to pick one answer only as a priority, you should prioritize risk for bleeding.
