A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who is scheduled to have a colonoscopy in 1 week. Which of the following client statements indicates an understanding of the teaching?

Rationale:

A. Beefy, red tongue: A beefy, red tongue is typically associated with scarlet fever, not pertussis. It results from the streptococcal infection and accompanying inflammatory response, which is unrelated to the bacterial cause and symptom pattern of pertussis.

B. Productive cough with thick mucous: Pertussis, or whooping cough, usually causes a paroxysmal, dry, hacking cough followed by a characteristic "whooping" sound on inspiration. It is not commonly associated with a productive cough containing thick mucus, especially in early and peak stages.

C. Facial erythema: Facial erythema can occur during severe coughing fits in children with pertussis due to the forceful and prolonged nature of coughing episodes. The increased intrathoracic pressure during coughing may lead to flushing or redness of the face.

D. Koplik spots: Koplik spots are small, bluish-white lesions on the buccal mucosa and are an early sign of measles, not pertussis. They are not present in bacterial infections like Bordetella pertussis, which affects the respiratory tract.

Rationale:

A. "Your child should have surgery in 7 to 10 days to remove the tumor.": Surgical removal of the tumor is a priority and is usually scheduled promptly after diagnosis, not delayed by a week or more. Early intervention reduces the risk of tumor rupture or metastasis.

B. "You should not palpate your child's abdomen prior to surgery.": Avoiding abdominal palpation is crucial because Wilms’ tumors are highly vascular and encapsulated. Palpation could cause rupture, leading to tumor cell spread into the peritoneal cavity and increasing the risk of metastasis.

C. "You should give your child captopril 200 mg PO daily.": Captopril is not a standard medication in the treatment of Wilms’ tumor. It is an antihypertensive that may be used if the child has associated hypertension, but the dosage listed is excessive for pediatric use and should not be prescribed without specific indications.

D. "Your child will not require further treatment after removal of the tumor.": Most children require additional therapy, such as chemotherapy and/or radiation, depending on tumor staging. Surgical removal alone is rarely curative, particularly in advanced or bilateral cases.