A nurse is reviewing home care with a client who has multiple sclerosis. Which of the following precautions should the nurse recommend to promote client safety?

Choice A reason: Using three-pronged grounded plugs ensures proper grounding, reducing the risk of electrical fires by safely dissipating excess current. This prevents shocks and short circuits, aligning with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. Grounded plugs are essential for safe appliance use, making this a critical recommendation for fire prevention education.
Choice B reason: Checking for a tingling sensation around a cord is not a reliable or safe method for fire prevention. Tingling may indicate electrical faults, but proactive measures like inspecting cords for fraying or overheating are more effective. This approach is reactive and risky, as it does not prevent fires, making it inappropriate.
Choice C reason: Covering extension cords with a rug traps heat and increases wear, raising the risk of electrical fires. Cords should be exposed to air and placed to avoid damage or tripping hazards. This practice violates safety guidelines, as it conceals potential issues, making it an incorrect recommendation for fire prevention.
Choice D reason: Removing a plug by pulling the cord can damage insulation or wiring, increasing fire risk due to exposed conductors or short circuits. Plugs should be grasped firmly at the base to remove safely. This action is unsafe and contradicts electrical safety standards, making it an incorrect teaching point.

Choice A reason: Hypothermia increases metabolic demand in newborns, depleting glucose stores rapidly. Neonates have limited glycogen reserves, and cold stress accelerates glucose use for thermogenesis, risking hypoglycemia. This is critical in nurseries, as thermoregulation is essential to prevent metabolic imbalances in vulnerable infants.
Choice B reason: Thrombocytopenia, low platelet count, affects clotting, not glucose metabolism. It may occur in sepsis but does not directly cause hypoglycemia. Glucose regulation depends on liver function and insulin balance, not platelets, making this irrelevant to hypoglycemia risk in newborns.
Choice C reason: Prematurity heightens hypoglycemia risk due to immature liver glycogen stores and limited gluconeogenesis. Preterm infants have high metabolic demands and low reserves, increasing susceptibility to low blood glucose, necessitating close monitoring and early feeding to stabilize glucose levels.
Choice D reason: Anemia, low red blood cell count, impacts oxygen delivery but not glucose metabolism directly. Severe anemia may increase metabolic stress, but it is not a primary hypoglycemia cause. Glucose regulation relies on hepatic and insulin functions, not hematologic status, in newborns.
Choice E reason: Maternal diabetes causes fetal hyperinsulinemia from maternal hyperglycemia, leading to neonatal hypoglycemia post-birth. Excess insulin depletes glucose stores after umbilical cord clamping, as maternal glucose supply ceases, making this a critical risk factor requiring vigilant monitoring in newborns.