Mr. L, who has a severe fear of needles, is hospitalized on your medical unit. The laboratory technician enters to draw blood for the routine CBC, and Mr. L begins to cry out, "Get away from me! I can't breathe! I'm having a heart attack!" What should be your first response to Mr. L?

Choice A reason: Assessing the client's level of anxiety is crucial as it can inform the nurse about the severity of the OCD symptoms and guide further interventions.

Choice B reason: Interrupting compulsive behavior abruptly can cause significant distress to the client and is not recommended without proper behavioral therapy techniques.

Choice C reason: Negative reinforcement techniques are not typically used in OCD management as they can exacerbate anxiety and are not considered therapeutic.

Choice D reason: Encouraging avoidance of anxiety-increasing situations may reinforce OCD behaviors and is not a recommended approach. Exposure and response prevention, a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy, is often used instead.

Choice A reason: While legs feeling heavy can be a common sensation after a spinal block, it is not as concerning as other potential symptoms.

Choice B reason: Hypotension is a significant concern following a spinal block as it can indicate a high level of blockage affecting the autonomic nerves, which can lead to serious complications.

Choice C reason: Numbness below the injection site is expected after a spinal block and is not typically a cause for concern unless it is prolonged or accompanied by other symptoms.

Choice D reason: Nausea can occur but is less concerning than hypotension, which can have more immediate and severe consequences.