How should a nurse monitor a client who has developed pyrexia three days post-surgery?

Monitoring a client with pyrexia post-surgery is crucial for identifying potential complications, including infections. Assessing for tachypnea, or an increased respiratory rate, is important because it can be a sign of respiratory distress or an infection, such as pneumonia, which is a common postoperative complication. A high respiratory rate may indicate that the body is trying to compensate for inadequate oxygenation or is responding to systemic illness, which could include an infectious process.

Weight gain may occur for several reasons post-surgery, but it is not directly relevant to monitoring for pyrexia. Similarly, monitoring blood sugar levels is important, particularly in diabetic patients, but it is not directly related to the immediate concerns of fever after surgery. Evaluating hydration levels is certainly important, but focusing solely on hydration does not encompass the broader range of assessments needed to manage a patient with postoperative pyrexia. Thus, assessing for tachypnea provides critical information about the patient's respiratory function and overall condition, making it the most appropriate choice in this scenario.