A nurse is planning care for a client who is receiving targeted radiation therapy to the neck. The nurse should plan to monitor the client for which of the following as an adverse effect of this therapy?

Choice A reason: While wearing gloves is a standard precaution to prevent contamination and protect the nurse from potential pathogens, the gloves used for collecting a guaiac smear sample do not need to be sterile. Clean, non-sterile gloves are typically sufficient for this procedure.

Choice B reason: It is crucial to discard any samples that contain urine because urine can interfere with the results of the fecal occult blood test (FOBT). The presence of urine can cause false positives due to the peroxidase activity in urine, which can lead to unnecessary further testing.

Choice C reason: Collecting three samples from a single bowel movement is not recommended. Instead, it is advised to collect samples from three separate bowel movements to increase the likelihood of detecting intermittent bleeding, which is common in conditions like colorectal cancer.

Choice D reason: Taking the sample from the outer edge of formed stool is not the best practice. The sample should be taken from different areas of the stool to ensure a representative sample, as blood may not be uniformly distributed throughout the stool.

Choice A reason: Aspirating the catheter to check for a brisk blood return is not typically recommended as a routine action when replacing the dressing of a PICC line used for TPN. This action is performed to verify patency and placement of the catheter, but it is not directly related to the dressing change procedure.

Choice B reason: Using sterile technique for the procedure is essential when replacing the dressing of a PICC line. Maintaining sterility is crucial to prevent infection, as the PICC line provides direct access to the central venous system. The nurse should use sterile gloves and follow aseptic protocols to minimize the risk of introducing pathogens at the catheter insertion site.

Choice C reason: Cleansing the insertion site with hydrogen peroxide is not recommended for PICC line care. Hydrogen peroxide can be damaging to the tissue and may delay healing. Instead, a chlorhexidine-based antiseptic is typically used to clean the skin around the insertion site during dressing changes to reduce microbial flora and prevent infection.

Choice D reason: Flushing the TPN port with 20 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride is a practice used to maintain catheter patency, but it is not part of the dressing change procedure. Flushing is usually done before and after administering medication or nutrition, not specifically during a dressing change.