A nurse is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a preschooler. Which of the following actions should the nurse perform?

Rationale:

A. Limit teaching sessions about the procedure to 20 min: Preschoolers have short attention spans, but 20 minutes is still too long for teaching at this developmental stage. Teaching should be concise and focused, ideally lasting only a few minutes just before the procedure.

B. Explain in simple terms how the procedure will affect the child: Preschoolers benefit from clear, age-appropriate explanations that help them understand what to expect. Using simple language and concrete terms reduces fear and builds trust with the nurse.

C. Ask the parents to wait outside the room during the procedure: Parents often provide comfort and reassurance during stressful experiences. Unless they are interfering or the child requests otherwise, their presence can help reduce the child’s anxiety.

D. Instruct the child in deep-breathing methods prior to the procedure: While relaxation techniques are helpful for older children, preschoolers may have difficulty understanding and following deep-breathing instructions. Simple distraction methods are often more effective.

Rationale for Correct Choices:

• Compartment Syndrome: Compartment syndrome is a limb-threatening condition that occurs when increased pressure within a muscle compartment impairs circulation and nerve function. The child has a nondisplaced fracture of both the radius and ulna, along with edema, ecchymosis, and fingers that are cool to touch, all of which are early signs of compromised perfusion.
• Tingling Sensation: Tingling (paresthesia) is an early neurological sign of impaired sensory function often seen in the early stages of compartment syndrome. This child verbalizes a mild tingling in the fingers, which indicates nerve compression due to increased pressure within the forearm compartments.

Rationale for Incorrect Choices

• Paresthesia: Tingling is the hallmark symptom of paresthesia, but paresthesia is a symptom, not a disease process. The nurse must determine the underlying cause of the altered sensation, which in this situation is likely compartment syndrome.
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): DVT typically presents with unilateral leg swelling, warmth, pain, and sometimes redness—not forearm injury symptoms. The child has a forearm fracture and bruises on the lower extremities in different healing stages, but there's no localized swelling, erythema, or immobility in the legs to support a DVT diagnosis.
• Pain Level: A pain score of 4 out of 10 is not severe enough to support compartment syndrome or any acute vascular crisis alone. Pain that is out of proportion to the injury and unrelieved by medication would raise concern.
• Mobility: The child is ambulatory and able to move their fingers and limbs, which reduces the likelihood of venous stasis a major risk factor for DVT. In the absence of prolonged immobility or systemic hypercoagulability, there is minimal reason to suspect a thrombotic event based on mobility alone.