Question

A 6-year-old child with leukemia is hospitalized and is receiving combination chemotherapy. Laboratory results indicate that the child is neutropenic, and protective isolation procedures are initiated. The grandmother of the child visits and brings a fresh bouquet of flowers picked from her garden and asks the nurse for a vase for the flowers. Which response should the nurse provide to the grandmother?

1. "I have a vase in the utility room, and I will get it for you."
2. "I will get the vase and wash it well before you put the flowers in it."
3. "The flowers from your garden are beautiful, but should not be placed in the child's room at this time."
4. "When you bring the flowers into the room, place them on the bedside stand as far away from the child as possible."

Answer 1

3. "The flowers from your garden are beautiful, but should not be placed in the child's room at this time."

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

3. "The flowers from your garden are beautiful, but should not be placed in the child's room at this time."

Step-by-step explanation:

Leukemia is a malignant increase in the number of leukocytes, usually at an immature stage, in the bone marrow. It affects the bone marrow, causing anemia from decreased erythrocytes, infection from neutropenia, and bleeding from decreased platelet production (thrombocytopenia). For a hospitalized neutropenic child, flowers or plants should not be kept in the room because standing water and damp soil harbor Aspergillus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to which the child is susceptible. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables harbor molds and should be avoided until the white blood cell count increases.