A nurse is providing teaching to a client who will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Which of the following statements is appropriate to include in the teaching?

A. Raise the side rails up when the client is in bed: Full side rails can increase the risk of entrapment and injury for clients with dementia. They are not recommended as a routine safety measure unless individually assessed and ordered.

B. Place the bedside table at the foot of the bed: Placing furniture at the foot of the bed can create obstacles and increase the risk of trips and falls. The environment should be arranged to allow safe, unobstructed mobility.

C. Keep the television on during the night: Continuous noise, such as a TV, can cause agitation or confusion in clients with dementia, increasing the risk of disorientation and injury. Quiet, calming environments are preferred.

D. Assist the client to the toilet frequently: Clients with dementia are at increased risk for falls due to urgency, confusion, or impaired mobility. Frequent toileting assistance reduces the risk of incontinence-related hazards and falls, promoting safety and dignity.

Rationale for correct choices:

• Endoscopy: The client presents with a history of gnawing epigastric pain, one episode of dark, tarry stool, hypotension, tachycardia, and significant anemia. These findings suggest possible upper gastrointestinal bleeding or peptic ulcer disease. Endoscopy is the definitive diagnostic procedure to identify the source of bleeding and assess ulcer severity.
• Stool test results: The positive hemoccult (tarry stool) indicates gastrointestinal bleeding. This abnormal finding provides objective evidence that warrants further diagnostic evaluation through endoscopy to prevent further blood loss and complications.

Rationale for incorrect choices:

• Antibiotic prescription: While H. pylori infection can require antibiotics, this client’s immediate concern is gastrointestinal bleeding, not infection control. Antibiotics would not address the urgent need to identify and manage the bleeding source.
• Proton pump inhibitor therapy: Proton pump inhibitors help reduce gastric acid and promote ulcer healing, but initiating therapy alone does not evaluate or stop potential active bleeding. Endoscopy is needed first for diagnostic and possible therapeutic intervention.
• Hypotension: Although hypotension is present, it is a clinical sign of potential blood loss rather than a direct diagnostic criterion. It supports the urgency for endoscopy but is not the primary evidence for the procedure.
• Positive H. pylori test: While H. pylori infection contributes to ulcer formation, the acute presentation of bleeding evidenced by positive hemoccult stool makes the stool test a more immediate indicator for endoscopy.