MEDizzy - The nurse is providing discharge instructions to a client

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Reproductive Health

The nurse is providing discharge instructions to a client who had a modified radical mastectomy. Which of the following instructions is most effective in preventing infection?

ExplanationFollowing a modified mastectomy in which lymph nodes have been removed, the client is at risk for lymphedema and infection. The nurse instructs the client to take precautions to avoid creating an entry site for infection in the affected arm by wearing protective gloves when gardening or using sharp instruments. Additional measures to prevent infection include using cuticle cream (not cutting cuticles), using an electric razor, using a thimble when sewing, and avoiding having injections or blood drawn from that arm. The woman does not need to avoid crowded areas as she is not at high risk for respiratory infection.