Final answer:
Step 4 in treatment termination involves the nurse conducting a safety check including verification of equipment, labeling, and needle counts to prevent complication in patients like Barbara with a central venous catheter.
Step-by-step explanation:
Step 4 of treatment termination/preparing the catheter for patient discharge involves a nurse reviewing items aloud with the team to ensure patient safety and quality of care. This step might include confirming that the needle, sponge, and instrument counts are complete, ensuring any specimens are correctly labeled including the patient's name, and addressing any issues with equipment.
This process is part of the standardized safety checks in line with the surgical safety checklist recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent adverse events and complications.
For a patient like Barbara, with a central venous catheter due to metastatic inflammatory breast cancer, step 4 would include careful confirmation to avoid further infection or complications, particularly during catheter removal or when transitioning to outpatient care. In Barbara's case, despite all safety measures, she tragically experienced further decline and passed away due to complications like sepsis, hepatic, and renal failure.