Question

A nurse is providing teaching for a client with a fracture of the right fibula with a short leg cast and a new prescription for crutches. The client is non-weight bearing for 6 weeks. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

A. Place the crutches under the arms with the cuffs snug against the armpits.

B. Bear weight on the affected leg while using the crutches for stability.

C. Adjust the crutch height to allow a 20-degree angle at the elbows.

D. Use the handrail when ascending or descending stairs.

Answer 1

For a client with a fractured right fibula and a short leg cast using crutches, it is most important to adjust the crutch height for a 20-degree bend at the elbows to ensure the arms, rather than the armpits, bear the user's weight.

Step-by-step explanation:

In teaching a client with a fractured right fibula who needs to use crutches and is non-weight bearing for 6 weeks, the nurse should include several instructions for safe crutch use. These instructions make sure the client maintains balance and prevents further injury. The correct instruction from the options provided is:

• Adjust the crutch height to allow a 20-degree angle at the elbows. This is the correct instruction because having a slight bend at the elbows ensures that when the crutches are used, the arms, not the armpits, bear the weight, reducing the risk of nerve damage and ensuring better control.

The other options are as follows:

• Placing the crutches under the arms with the cuffs snug against the armpits is not advised as this could cause nerve damage from the pressure on the armpits.
• Bearing weight on the affected leg should be avoided completely since the client is non-weight bearing. The crutches are meant to offload weight from the healing leg.
• Using the handrail when ascending or descending stairs is generally good advice, but since the client is non-weight-bearing, even more caution is necessary and it wasn't specified among the possible correct single answers.