Nokea
Which of the following actions would the nurse take when applying a wet dressing to an inflamed and pruritic area of skin on a patient's ankle?
- A. Use a cool solution to wet the dressing.
- B. Change the dressing using sterile gloves.
- C. Soak the dressing in sterile normal saline.
- D. Apply the dressing from the knee to the foot.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cool solutions are used when wet dressings are applied to inflamed areas. Wet dressings do not require sterile technique; tap water is the most common solution used. To avoid maceration of healthy skin, wet dressings should only be applied over the affected area.
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The nurse notes darker skin pigmentation in the skin folds of a patient who has a body mass index of $40 \mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{m}^2$. Which of the following topics would the nurse include in patient teaching?
- A. Teach the patient about the risk for type 2 diabetes.
- B. Educate the patient about treatment of fungal infection.
- C. Discuss the use of drying agents to minimize infection risk.
- D. Instruct the patient about use of mild soap to clean skin folds.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Obesity and the presence of acanthosis nigricans in skin folds suggest an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. The description of the patient's skin does not indicate problems with fungal infection, poor hygiene, or the need to dry the skin folds better.
Which of the following information would the nurse include when teaching an older-adult patient about skin care?
- A. Dry the skin thoroughly before applying lotons.
- B. Bathe and shampoo daily with soap and shampoo.
- C. Use warm water and a moisturizing soap when bathing.
- D. Use antibacterial soaps when bathing to avoid infection.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Warm water and moisturizing soap will avoid overdrying of the skin. Since older patients have dryer skin, daily bathing and shampooing are not necessary and may dry the skin unnecessarily. Antibacterial soaps are not necessary. Lotions should be applied while the skin is still damp to seal moisture in.
The nurse is teaching a patient with contact dermatitis of the arms and lower legs about ways to decrease pruritus. Which of the following information would the nurse include in the teaching plan? (Select all that apply.)
- A. Cool, wet cloths or dressings can be used to reduce itching.
- B. Take cool or tepid baths several times daily to decrease itching.
- C. Add oil to your bath water to aid in moisturizing the affected skin.
- D. Rub yourself dry with a towel after bathing to prevent skin maceration
- E. Use of an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine with sedative effects can reduce scratching.
Correct Answer: A,B,E
Rationale: Cool or tepid baths, cool dressings, and OTC antihistamines all help reduce pruritus and scratching. Adding oil to bath water is not recommended because of the increased risk for falls. The patient should use the towel to pat (not rub) the skin dry.
A patient with atopic dermatitis has a new prescription for tacrolimus. After teaching the patient about the medication, which statement by the patient indicates that further teaching is needed?
- A. After I apply the medication, I can go ahead and get dressed as usual.
- B. I will rub the medication gently onto the skin every morning and night.
- C. I will need to minimize my time in the sun while I am using the tacrolimus.
- D. If the medication burns when I apply it, I will wipe it off and call the doctor.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The patient should be taught that transient burning at the application site is an expected effect of tacrolimus and that the medication should be left in place. The other statements by the patient are accurate and indicate that patient teaching has been effective.
A patient who has severe refractory psoriasis on the face, neck, and extremities has quit working and withdrawn from social activities because of the appearance of the lesions. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
- A. Discuss the possibility of enrolling in a worker-retraining program.
- B. Encourage the patient to volunteer to work on community projects.
- C. Suggest that the patient use cosmetics to cover the psoriatic lesions
- D. Ask the patient to describe the impact of psoriasis on quality of life.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse's initial actions should be to assess the impact of the disease on the patient's life and to allow the patient to verbalize feelings about the psoriasis. Depending on the assessment findings, other actions may be appropriate.