A nurse is educating a client who has had orchiopexy about routine testicular self-examination (TSE). What instruction should the nurse provide to the client?

Question

A) Roll the testis gently in a vertical plane.
B) Avoid touching the scrotum with cold hands.
C) Perform the examination before taking a bath.
D) Palpate the testicle between the thumb and middle finger.

Answer 1

B
Feedback:
Touching the scrotum with cold hands during TSE can stimulate the cremasteric reflex, which causes the scrotum to contract close to the body. The nurse should instruct the client to roll the testis gently in a horizontal plane instead of on a vertical plane, with the index and middle fingers under the testis and the thumb on top. The client should perform TSE after a bath or shower because warm water relaxes the scrotal sac. The nurse should instruct the client to palpate the testicle between his thumb and the first two fingers instead of only the middle finger.