A client is prepped for an adrenalectomy and has a temperature of 100.8 F. How should the nurse interpret this finding?

A client is prepped for an adrenalectomy and has a temperature of 100.8 F. How should the nurse interpret this finding?

• A. Within normal limits
• B. A finding that needs to be reported immediately
• C. Slightly abnormal but an insignificant finding
• D. An expected finding caused by the operative stress response

Answer: (B)

A mild fever before a major operation signals an active process that needs assessment rather than proceeding with the surgery. In the preoperative period, any elevation in temperature is not expected and can indicate infection or inflammation that could complicate anesthesia, hemodynamic stability, and wound healing. The nurse should report this immediately so the surgical/ anesthesia team can evaluate the cause, obtain pertinent assessments (vital signs trend, symptoms, possible infections), and decide whether to delay the adrenalectomy until the fever is resolved or targeted treatment is started. This is not a normal finding, nor is it a harmless preoperative change or an expected postoperative stress response, which would occur after the surgery.

A mild fever before a major operation signals an active process that needs assessment rather than proceeding with the surgery. In the preoperative period, any elevation in temperature is not expected and can indicate infection or inflammation that could complicate anesthesia, hemodynamic stability, and wound healing. The nurse should report this immediately so the surgical/ anesthesia team can evaluate the cause, obtain pertinent assessments (vital signs trend, symptoms, possible infections), and decide whether to delay the adrenalectomy until the fever is resolved or targeted treatment is started.

This is not a normal finding, nor is it a harmless preoperative change or an expected postoperative stress response, which would occur after the surgery.