A nurse is planning care for a child who has neutropenia due to leukemia. Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the plan of care?

• Postoperative ileus: Ileus is a common complication after abdominal surgery due to anesthesia, opioid use, and limited mobility. It presents as delayed return of bowel function, marked by absent bowel sounds and abdominal discomfort. In this case, the child has absent bowel sounds and increasing tenderness, supporting this risk.
• Atelectasis: Atelectasis generally presents with diminished breath sounds and hypoxia, not clear breath sounds. Although the child has shallow respirations and is refusing the incentive spirometer, there are no respiratory findings such as decreased oxygen saturation or adventitious breath sounds that support this condition currently.
• Peritonitis: Peritonitis would present with systemic symptoms like fever, severe abdominal pain, rebound tenderness, or signs of sepsis. The child has mild abdominal tenderness and stable vital signs, which do not indicate peritoneal inflammation at this time.
• Urinary retention: This would be characterized by lack of urination, bladder distension, or discomfort—none of which are noted in the scenario. The child’s urinary output and bladder status are not identified as concerns, making this diagnosis unlikely.
• Absent bowel sounds: This is a key clinical sign of ileus. After surgery, bowel activity should return gradually. Continued absence of sounds, especially along with abdominal tenderness, strongly indicates impaired gastrointestinal motility.
• Shallow respirations: While shallow breathing is often a contributing factor to respiratory complications, in the context of abdominal surgery, it also limits diaphragmatic movement, which can further suppress bowel activity and contribute to postoperative ileus.
• Clear breath sounds: This is a normal respiratory finding and does not support the presence of atelectasis or other pulmonary complications. It suggests that lung fields are adequately ventilated despite shallow breathing.
• Intact abdominal dressing: This is an expected postoperative finding and does not support a diagnosis of infection, wound complication, or ileus. It indicates proper surgical wound healing.

A. Provide a verbal report of the client's condition to the paramedic performing the transfer. This is an appropriate and secure method for communicating essential health information directly involved in the client’s care. It ensures continuity of care while maintaining confidentiality.
B. Email the client's health information to the facility in an unencrypted file. Sending health information via unencrypted email violates HIPAA guidelines and poses a risk to client confidentiality due to potential unauthorized access.
C. Discuss the client's response to the transfer with another staff nurse. Unless the staff nurse is directly involved in the client’s care, this would be a breach of confidentiality. Personal health information should only be shared on a need-to-know basis.
D. Fax the client's name and identifiable information to the rehabilitation facility. Faxing is permissible only when appropriate safeguards are in place. However, faxing identifiable information without confirming the recipient or using secure protocols can risk a confidentiality breach.