One hour after major abdominal surgery, a client in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) has a blood pressure (BP) of 136/80 mm Hg. Fifteen minutes later it is 114/72 mm Hg. Which action should the nurse take first?

A. Encourage the client to breathe deeply: Deep breathing is helpful for preventing atelectasis and improving oxygenation after surgery, but it does not address the concern of a dropping blood pressure. B. Review the client's baseline BP trends: Reviewing baseline information is useful for context, but it does not address the potential acute complication. A falling BP shortly after major abdominal surgery raises concern for bleeding that must be assessed immediately. C. Check the abdominal surgical dressing: A rapid drop in blood pressure within a short time can indicate internal or external hemorrhage. Inspecting the dressing for bleeding or saturation is the most immediate action to identify a possible cause and guide intervention. D. Increase frequency of BP assessments: More frequent monitoring would detect further changes, but it delays addressing the underlying cause of hypotension. The nurse must first assess for bleeding rather than only recording more measurements.