The nurse bathes an unconscious patient. Which action should the nurse implement to maintain infection control during a bed bath?
a. Use long strokes and lotion to massage both legs.
b. Perform a complete assessment of the pa-tient's skin.
c. Wash each eye carefully, rinsing all traces of soap.
d. Soap the entire front of the patient's body and then rinse.
B
The nurse assesses the patient's skin during a bed bath because the skin is a major part of the in-nate defense of the body against microorganisms. The nurse identifies areas of the patient's skin with a potential for breakdown and plans preventive or restorative nursing care. Lower extremi-ties are not massaged to prevent dislodging a potential thrombus. Warm water only is used to cleanse the eyes because soap is likely to cause patient discomfort if it seeps into the eyes. The nurse washes and rinses smaller areas of the body to complete a bed bath because wetting a large surface area can cause vasoconstriction and shivering in the patient from the cooling effects of evaporation.
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