A patient with a right tibial fracture is being discharged home after having a cast applied. What instruction should the nurse provide in relationship to the patient's cast care?
A) "Cover the cast with a blanket until the cast dries."
B) "Keep your right leg elevated above heart level."
C) "Use a clean object to scratch itches inside the cast."
D) "A foul smell from the cast is normal after the first few days."
Ans: B
Feedback:
The leg should be elevated to promote venous return and prevent edema. The cast shouldn't be covered while drying because this will cause heat buildup and prevent air circulation. No foreign object should be inserted inside the cast because of the risk of cutting the skin and causing an infection. A foul smell from a cast is never normal and may indicate an infection.
You might also like to view...
What should the client do to cope with information overload? (Select all that apply.)
a. Learn to think critically. b. Ignore any information. c. Be open to new information. d. Promise yourself that you will look at it later. e. Learn to find relationships in new information. f. Learn at least one new piece of information a day. g. Ignore new information unless it relates directly to the job.
The most important reason to protect the preterm infant from cold stress is that:
a. it could make respiratory distress syndrome worse. b. shivering to produce heat may use up too many calories. c. a low temperature may make the infant less able to digest nutrients. d. cold decreases circulation to the extremities.
Most phenomena in nursing would be considered:
a. multicausal. b. physical. c. simple. d. unique.
Which of the following is an example of subjective data?
a. urinalysis results c. blood pressure b. response to pain scale d. weight