When the nurse discontinues a 24-hour postoperative client’s patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump, the client asks to go to the hospital’s smoking area to smoke a cigarette. Which response should the nurse provide?

Choice A reason: Topical corticosteroids reduce eczema’s inflammation by inhibiting cytokines, alleviating antecubital vesicles. Heat lamps dry skin, worsening irritation and cracking. Encouraging steroids addresses the inflammatory pathophysiology, promoting healing, making this the most effective response for managing eczema and correcting harmful self-treatment.

Choice B reason: Chemical debridement is for necrotic tissue, not eczema’s inflammatory vesicles. Heat lamps exacerbate dryness, but debridement does not address immune-mediated inflammation. Corticosteroids target the cytokine-driven process, making debridement inappropriate for eczema’s pathophysiology, which requires anti-inflammatory treatment.

Choice C reason: Restricting heat to 15–20 minutes does not mitigate harm, as heat dries eczema lesions, disrupting the skin barrier and increasing infection risk. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation, addressing vesicles. Heat worsens epidermal damage, making this response ineffective compared to targeting the inflammatory cause.

Choice D reason: A sling for arm elevation is irrelevant for localized eczema, an inflammatory dermatitis, not edema requiring elevation. Heat lamps aggravate dryness, and corticosteroids treat inflammation, addressing immune-mediated pathology more effectively than positional changes, which do not impact eczema’s skin symptoms.

Choice A reason: Administering oxygen supports oxygenation but is not the priority during a seizure, typically brief without sustained hypoxia. Removing objects prevents trauma from tonic-clonic movements, driven by neuronal hyperexcitability, addressing the immediate risk of fractures or head injuries during uncontrolled muscle activity.

Choice B reason: Removing objects prevents injury during a seizure, as tonic-clonic convulsions from excessive neuronal discharges risk trauma like fractures. Ensuring a safe environment addresses the physiological risk of harm from environmental hazards, critical for protecting the client during uncontrolled movements in seizure activity.

Choice C reason: Placing pillows around the head may reduce injury but is less effective than clearing hazards, as seizures involve full-body movements. Pillows may not stay secure during clonic jerking. Removing objects ensures broader safety, minimizing trauma risk across all body areas, making this less immediate.

Choice D reason: Applying restraints is contraindicated, as they risk injury like fractures by resisting forceful neuronal-driven movements. Seizures require safe movement in a clear environment. Removing objects prevents trauma, addressing the physiological need for safety during a seizure, making restraints inappropriate and potentially harmful.