After a cardiac catheterization, what should the nurse assess first?

After a cardiac catheterization, the first assessment a nurse should perform is checking the pulses. This is critical because assessing pulses helps to ensure adequate blood flow and circulation to the extremities beyond the catheterization site. Compromised circulation can indicate complications such as arterial occlusion, hematoma formation, or bleeding, which are important to identify and address quickly to prevent further issues.

Monitoring for pulses provides immediate information about the status of the vascular system and the effectiveness of the procedure. If there are diminished or absent pulses, it prompts further investigation and intervention to manage any complications that may arise.

While evaluating pain is also important, it is not as immediate as assessing pulses, since pain assessment can often be addressed after ensuring hemodynamic stability. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels can provide insights into blood loss but are not as immediate of a concern right after the procedure as the risk of compromised circulation. Finally, reviewing the catheterization report is vital for understanding the procedure's outcomes, but this is typically done after ensuring the patient's immediate physiological stability. Thus, focusing on pulse assessment first establishes an urgent basis for ongoing care post-cardiac catheterization.