A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who has COPD and has been taking long-term high doses of prednisone. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

A. Insert the needle at a 45° or 90° angle. Enoxaparin is administered subcutaneously, and subcutaneous injections should be given at either a 45° or 90° angle, depending on the client’s body size and the amount of subcutaneous tissue available. A 90° angle is typically used for clients with more subcutaneous tissue, while a 45° angle is appropriate for those with less.

B. Hold the skin taut during administration. When giving subcutaneous injections, the skin should be gently pinched rather than held taut. Pinching helps ensure the medication is delivered into the fatty tissue rather than the muscle, reducing the risk of intramuscular injection, which can increase bleeding risk with anticoagulants like enoxaparin.

C. Massage the injection site after administering the enoxaparin. Massaging the injection site is contraindicated because it can cause tissue irritation, bruising, and increased risk of bleeding. Instead, gentle pressure may be applied with a gauze pad if necessary to minimize bleeding.

D. Use a 4 cm (1.6 in) needle. A needle length of 4 cm (1.6 inches) is too long for a subcutaneous injection and increases the risk of intramuscular administration, which could lead to increased bleeding and bruising. The recommended needle length for subcutaneous injections is typically ½ inch (1.25 cm) to ⅝ inch (1.6 cm) to ensure proper medication delivery.

• NSAID use. The client has been taking ibuprofen (an NSAID) twice daily while also receiving prednisone (a corticosteroid) for asthma exacerbation. Both NSAIDs and corticosteroids inhibit prostaglandin production, which normally protects the stomach lining. This combination increases the risk of gastric irritation, peptic ulcers, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
• Recent immunization. The client received the influenza vaccine three days ago, but this does not significantly increase the risk of infection. The flu shot contains inactivated or weakened virus, meaning it cannot cause the flu. The client’s asthma may increase their risk of complications from the flu, but the vaccine helps reduce this risk rather than increasing it.
• Weight gain. The client has gained 1.36 kg (3 lb) in one week, which is likely due to fluid retention from prednisone use. While long-term corticosteroid use can lead to Cushing syndrome, this condition develops over weeks to months of high-dose steroid therapy, not within a short period. Therefore, the client is at a higher risk of peptic ulcers rather than Cushing syndrome.
• Cushing syndrome. Cushing syndrome results from chronic corticosteroid use leading to fat redistribution, muscle weakness, skin thinning, and hyperglycemia. However, this client is on a short-term tapering dose of prednisone, making Cushing syndrome unlikely at this stage.
• Influenza. Although the client has asthma, which increases the risk of complications from respiratory infections, there is no indication that they have developed the flu. The flu shot helps prevent infection, and there are no reports of fever, body aches, or respiratory symptoms suggestive of influenza.
• Peptic ulcers. The combination of NSAIDs and corticosteroids significantly increases the risk of peptic ulcer disease by weakening the stomach lining and promoting acid production. The client should be advised to monitor for signs of gastric irritation, such as abdominal pain, black stools, or nausea, and may require a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) like omeprazole for ulcer prevention.