What should the nurse do if a patient on anticoagulants reports black stool?

What should the nurse do if a patient on anticoagulants reports black stool?

• A. Increase the anticoagulant dose.
• B. Hold the dose and notify the provider.
• C. Ignore the symptom.
• D. Administer a laxative.

Answer: (B)

Black stool can signal GI bleeding, a serious risk with anticoagulants. The nurse should stop the anticoagulant dose to prevent further bleeding and notify the provider for assessment and possible changes to therapy. Increasing the dose or ignoring the symptom would worsen bleeding risk, and giving a laxative wouldn’t address a potential bleed and could complicate the situation. While awaiting orders, monitor the patient’s vital signs and look for other signs of bleeding.

Black stool can signal GI bleeding, a serious risk with anticoagulants. The nurse should stop the anticoagulant dose to prevent further bleeding and notify the provider for assessment and possible changes to therapy. Increasing the dose or ignoring the symptom would worsen bleeding risk, and giving a laxative wouldn’t address a potential bleed and could complicate the situation. While awaiting orders, monitor the patient’s vital signs and look for other signs of bleeding.