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The nurse prepares a client for a bone scan. Which statement is appropriate for the nurse to make to the client?

1. "Be sure to drink lots of fluid in the time between the tracer injection and the test."
2. "You will feel some discomfort as the tracer is injected into your muscle."
3. "You will have to assume various positions on a tilting x-ray table."
4. "The scan is painless and will be over before you know it."

User Rjobidon
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Final answer:

The nurse should advise the patient to drink lots of fluid between the tracer injection and the bone scan to help eliminate unabsorbed tracer and to possibly provide clearer images.

Step-by-step explanation:

The appropriate statement for the nurse to make to the client preparing for a bone scan is: "Be sure to drink lots of fluid in the time between the tracer injection and the test." During a bone scan, a radioactive tracer is injected into the bloodstream, which is then absorbed by the bones. Drinking fluids helps to eliminate any tracer that does not get absorbed by bone tissue, reducing the patient's exposure to radiation. Furthermore, hydration may help in providing clearer images. The injection is typically not painful, although there may be some discomfort from the needle itself, similar to a routine shot. The scan itself is generally painless, does not require the patient to be in various positions on a tilting x-ray table, and is not conducted by injecting tracer into the muscle.

User MoishyS
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