Question

After wide margin resection, the nurse provides discharge teaching. It is most important for the nurse to emphasize the need to observe for changes in which characteristic?

1) Skin color
2) Skin texture
3) Skin temperature
4) Skin moisture

Answer 1

The nurse should emphasize the need to observe for changes in skin color after a wide margin resection, as this can indicate infection or impaired healing.

Step-by-step explanation:

After a wide margin resection, it is most important for the nurse to emphasize the need to observe for changes in skin color. This is because changes in skin color, such as increased redness, can indicate complications like infection or impaired blood flow. The area's temperature can also provide clues to trouble, with increased warmth often suggesting infection. Texture and moisture are also worth monitoring, but color changes are usually the first and most recognizable sign of potential problems. Nurses, surgeons, and anesthesia professionals will review aloud key concerns post-surgery, emphasizing the importance of monitoring for infection and proper healing. It is critical for safety and recovery that patients understand how to monitor the surgical site, recognizing signs such as redness, swelling, and pain that could indicate a problem like an infection or other skin disorders. These symptoms could signify serious complications, such as necrotizing fasciitis, which can progress rapidly and is a life-threatening condition.