Final answer:
A postoperative patient displaying pain and tenderness in the calf after knee surgery should be reported to the healthcare provider due to the risk of deep vein thrombosis. A negative Homans' sign or pain in the calf with plantar flexion alone may require further assessment, but are not immediate concerns like calf pain and tenderness. so, option B is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
When caring for a postoperative patient following knee surgery, it is important to monitor for any signs that may indicate complications. One such clinical finding that would necessitate immediate notification to the appropriate health care provider is pain and tenderness in the calf. This symptom could suggest the presence of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a serious condition where a blood clot forms in a vein located deep inside the body. Since the calf is an area prone to DVTs following surgery, any report of new calf pain, especially with accompanying symptoms such as redness, swelling, or warmth, deserves prompt medical evaluation to prevent potential complications like pulmonary embolism.
A negative Homans' sign, which is when there is no pain in the calf upon dorsiflexion of the foot, would not be a finding of immediate concern. However, it is also important to note that the reliability of Homans' sign is questionable, and thus, it should not be used as the sole indicator for DVT. Pain in the calf with plantar flexion alone, without other symptoms, may not be indicative of a serious issue, but should still be investigated in a postoperative patient due to the increased risk of thrombosis. Stiffness of the knee is a fairly common and expected finding after knee surgery, although extreme stiffness or lack of expected progress in mobility should be communicated to the health care provider for further assessment.