The nurse instructs the client to use commercially available gel packs at home for cold therapy. Which does the nurse include in client teaching to prevent complications?

Question

1. Avoid risk of frostbite with a gel pack.
2. Apply gel packs with direct skin contact.
3. Empty the gel container after the treatment.
4. Refreeze and reuse gel packs without leaks.

Answer 1

4
4. The nurse instructs the client to refreeze and reuse the gel packs after treatment as long as they do not leak, because the gel is potentially poisonous.
1. Cold therapy carries a risk of tissue damage from frostbite, although gel packs carry a lower risk than other methods of cold application.
2. Hot or cold therapy is never applied directly to the skin to avoid tissue damage.
3. The nurse avoids instructing the client to empty the gel because, if the pack is not leaking, the client can reuse the gel pack.