A nurse is caring for an older adult client who has gastroenteritis. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A) Use petroleum jelly on a cotton ball to plug your ear when shampooing.
This method can help protect the ear from water exposure during showering or shampooing. However, it doesn't address trauma or hearing impairment prevention as effectively as avoiding pressure changes.

B) Clean dried blood in your ear canal with a cotton-tipped applicator.
Using cotton-tipped applicators can cause trauma to the ear canal and potentially disrupt the surgical site, increasing the risk of complications and impairing hearing.

C) Avoid blowing your nose for 1 month after surgery.
Avoiding nose blowing is crucial because it can create pressure changes in the ear that may disrupt the healing process and cause trauma to the surgical site, leading to potential hearing impairment.

D) Notify your provider if you have popping or crackling sensations in the affected ear.
Popping or crackling sensations can be normal as the ear heals and adjusts post-surgery. While it’s important to monitor symptoms, reporting them is not necessarily about preventing trauma or hearing impairment.

A) Muscle twitching:
Muscle twitching, also known as tetany, is a common manifestation of hypocalcemia. Low calcium levels increase neuromuscular excitability, leading to symptoms such as muscle cramps, spasms, and twitching. This is a key clinical sign that helps in diagnosing hypocalcemia.
B) Bounding pulse:
A bounding pulse is not typically associated with hypocalcemia. Instead, it is more often seen in conditions such as fluid overload or hyperdynamic circulatory states, where there is increased cardiac output or vascular volume.
C) Hypertension:
Hypertension is not a common manifestation of hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia is more likely to cause hypotension due to its effect on cardiac contractility and vascular tone, rather than causing high blood pressure.
D) Decreased bowel sounds:
Decreased bowel sounds are not commonly associated with hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia affects neuromuscular function, but it typically causes increased gastrointestinal motility rather than decreased motility, which would lead to hyperactive bowel sounds rather than decreased ones.