MED-SURG RN Form B
Cancer treatment options: Safety precautions for a sealed radiation implant
◯ Nursing Actions
■ Place the client in a private
... [Show More] room away from other clients when possible.
■ Place appropriate sign on the door warning of the radiation source.
■ Wear a dosimeter film badge that records personal amount of radiation exposure.
■ Limit visitors to 30-min visits, and have visitors maintain a distance of 6 ft from the
source.
■ Visitors and health care personnel who are pregnant or under the age of 16 should
not come
into contact with the client or radiation source.
■ Keep a lead container in the client's room if the delivery method could allow
spontaneous loss
of radioactive material. Tongs are available for placing radioactive material into this
container.
■ Precautions listed above should be carried out at home if the client is discharged
during therapy.
◯ Client Education
■ Inform client of the need to remain in an indicated position to prevent dislodgement of
the
radiation implant.
■ Instruct the client to call the nurse for assistance with elimination.
■ Instruct client and family about radiation precautions needed in the health care and
home environments.
Fractures and immobilization: Assessment of a new cast
Neurovascular assessment is essential throughout immobilization. Assessments are
performed
every hour for the first 24 hr and every 1 to 4 hr thereafter following initial trauma to
monitor
neurovascular compromise related to edema and/or the immobilization device.
Nursing Actions
☐ Monitor neurovascular status and assess pain.
☐ Apply ice for 24 to 48 hr.
☐ Handle a plaster cast with the palms, not fingertips, until the cast is dry to prevent
denting
the cast.
☐ Avoid setting the cast on hard surfaces or sharp edges.
☐ Prior to casting, the area is cleaned and dried. Tubular cotton web roll is placed over
the
affected area to maintain skin integrity. The casting material is then applied.
☐ After cast application, position the client so that warm, dry air circulates around and
under
the cast (support the casted area without pressure under or directly on the cast) for
faster
drying and to prevent pressure from changing the shape of the cast. Use gloves to
touch the
cast until it is completely dry.
☐ Elevate the cast above the level of the heart during the first 24 to 48 hr to prevent
edema of
the affected extremity.
☐ If any drainage is seen on the cast, it should be outlined, dated, and timed, so it can
be
monitored for any additional drainage.
☐ Older adult clients have an increased risk for impaired skin integrity due to the loss of
elasticity of the skin and decreased sensation (comorbidities).
Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease: Over the counter medications [Show Less]