A nurse is providing discharge teaching for a client who will be receiving oxygen therapy at home. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

Rationale:

• Client rates pain as 8 on a scale of 0 to 10 in their left knee. Client reports no relief with pain medications. The client’s pain has worsened from 4/10 despite pain medication, indicating the current pain management approach is ineffective, and the wound may not be healing as expected.
• Mild purulent drainage noted: The presence of purulent drainage is a sign of infection, further indicating that the wound vac therapy has not been successful in preventing or managing infection at the wound site.
• Left knee wound is 3 cm by 2 cm with 1 cm depth, compared to 2 cm by 2 cm with 1 cm depth one week ago: The increase in wound sizefrom 2cm by 2 cm to 3 cm by 2 cm suggests that the wound vac therapy is not promoting healing effectively, leading to a failure of wound closure.

Rationale for Incorrect Choices:

• Wound bed vascular with some approximation of the edges: The wound bed being vascular with some approximation of the edges indicates that there is some healthy tissue and the edges of the wound are coming together. This suggests that some healing is occurring, although it may be slower than expected.

A. Double-bag the linens: When a client is on contact precautions, it is necessary to place soiled linens in a sealed bag to prevent contamination. Double-bagging the linens ensures that the exterior bag does not become contaminated and that the linens are securely contained.

B. Rinse the linens prior to removing them from the client's room: Rinsing the linens is not required when removing soiled linens. The main concern is preventing contamination, and double-bagging ensures that the linens are safely contained.

C. Tie the linens' bag securely at the top: While it is important to securely close the bag, double-bagging is the key step in preventing contamination. Tying the bag is part of the process, but it is not the primary focus for contact precautions.

D. Wear sterile gloves when handling the linens: Sterile gloves are not necessary for handling soiled linens in contact precautions. Clean gloves are sufficient to handle linens. Sterile gloves are typically used for invasive procedures, not for routine linen handling.