ATI Postpartum Practice Test

Endometritis after delivery is an infection of the uterine lining, so the most telling signs are those that reflect both local inflammation and a systemic response. Fever signals the body fighting infection; uterine tenderness shows the uterus is inflamed; foul-smelling lochia indicates infected vaginal discharge, which often accompanies uterine infection; and tachycardia reflects the systemic response to infection. Other options don’t fit this scenario: cough and shortness of breath point to a respiratory issue; hypertension isn’t a typical feature of this postpartum infection; weight loss is nonspecific. Together, fever, uterine tenderness, foul-smelling lochia, and tachycardia are the classic cluster of signs of endometritis after delivery.