A nurse in a provider’s clinic is assessing a client who has cancer and a prescription for methotrexate PO. Which of the following actions should the nurse take when the client reports bleeding gums?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A.
Check the value of the client’s current platelet count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B.
Explain to the client that this is an expected adverse effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C.
Instruct the client to use an electric toothbrush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
D.
Have the client make an appointment to see the dentist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The correct answer and Explanation is :<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n The correct answer is A. Check the value of the client’s current platelet count.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When a client undergoing cancer treatment with methotrexate reports symptoms such as bleeding gums, it\u2019s crucial to first assess the potential underlying causes of this symptom. Methotrexate is an antimetabolite medication commonly used in cancer therapy, and it can lead to myelosuppression, a condition where the bone marrow’s ability to produce blood cells is impaired. This can result in decreased platelet counts (thrombocytopenia), which is a significant concern since platelets are vital for normal blood clotting. Bleeding gums can be a sign of low platelet levels or other hematologic issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before addressing the symptom as an expected side effect or suggesting interventions like dental appointments or changes in oral hygiene practices, the nurse must evaluate the client\u2019s current platelet count. This step helps determine whether the bleeding is a result of thrombocytopenia or another issue, guiding the appropriate response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the platelet count is found to be low, the healthcare provider can take necessary actions to manage the risk of bleeding, such as adjusting the methotrexate dose, providing transfusions if necessary, or referring the client for further evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While options B, C, and D may also be relevant in the context of oral care and management of side effects, they do not directly address the potential severity of the client\u2019s symptom in the context of cancer treatment. Understanding the client\u2019s platelet levels is critical to ensuring safe care and preventing complications related to bleeding, making it the priority action in this situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A nurse in a provider’s clinic is assessing a client who has cancer and a prescription for methotrexate PO. Which of the following actions should the nurse take when the client reports bleeding gums? A.Check the value of the client’s current platelet count. B.Explain to the client that this is an expected adverse effect. C.Instruct […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-142073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exams-certification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142073"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142073\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Explanation:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n