The nurse is irrigating a patient's ear with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water to remove impacted cerumen
Which of the following nursing interventions is most important in order to minimize nausea and vertigo during the procedure?
A) Maintain the irrigation fluid at 98° Fahrenheit.
B) Instill no more than 30 mL of fluid each time the syringe is inserted into the ear canal.
C) Follow the procedure with insertion of a cerumen curette to extract missed ear wax.
D) Aim the stream of irrigation fluid directly at the impacted cerumen.
Ans: A
Feedback: If cold irrigation fluid is used, the patient is at risk for experiencing nausea and vertigo. Irrigating solution should be warm. No more than 15 mL of irrigation fluid should be instilled at a time. Cerumen curettes should not be routinely used by the nurse. Special training is required to use a curette safely. If ear wax is unable to be adequately removed by irrigation or instillation of ceruminolytic agents, notify the physician. Aiming the stream of irrigation fluid directly at the impacted cerumen is likely to drive it more deeply into the ear canal thereby making removal more difficult.
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