Question

A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for total parenteral nutrition through a central line. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?

1: "I will change your IV tubing once every 48 hours."
2: "Abdominal distention is an expected effect of this therapy."
3: "I will need to check your gastric residual before administering feedings."
4: "I will need to measure your weight daily."

Answer 1

The nurse should inform the client that their weight will be measured daily as part of the management of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) therapy. Other options such as IV tubing change schedules and checking gastric residuals are not aligned with TPN protocols.

Step-by-step explanation:

When teaching a client who has a new prescription for total parenteral nutrition (TPN) through a central line, the nurse should include various points of education for the client to ensure proper management and monitoring of the therapy. The correct information to provide to the client would be:

• "I will need to measure your weight daily." Daily weight measurement is an important part of monitoring fluid balance and the effectiveness of TPN therapy.

Options 1, 2, and 3 are less applicable or incorrect because:

• IV tubing for TPN is generally changed more frequently than every 48 hours to reduce infection risk.
• Abdominal distention is not an expected effect of TPN and should be reported to the healthcare provider if it occurs.
• Monitoring of gastric residuals is associated with enteral feedings, not parenteral nutrition.