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Difficulty: HardBasic Care and Comfort

An older adult client is 48 hours postoperative following a right below-the-knee amputation. The client requests assistance with morning hygiene and reports a dull, aching sensation in the missing lower right leg. Which basic care and comfort measures should the practical nurse implement? Select all that apply.

  1. Assist the client into a prone position for 20 to 30 minutes multiple times a day.Answer
  2. B
    Elevate the residual limb continuously on a pillow while resting in bed.
  3. Wash the intact skin around the residual limb gently with mild soap and warm water.Answer
  4. D
    Encourage the client to sit upright in a bedside chair for four hours to build stamina.
  5. Guide the client through active range-of-motion exercises for the unaffected extremities.Answer
  6. F
    Inform the client that the aching sensation is imaginary because the lower leg is removed.

Answer

The correct interventions are assisting the client into a prone position periodically, washing the intact skin of the residual limb with mild soap, and guiding the client through active range-of-motion exercises for the unaffected extremities.
The correct basic care measures focus on preventing complications and promoting comfort. Assisting the client into a prone position several times a day prevents hip flexion contractures, which are a major risk following an amputation. Gentle hygiene of the intact skin around the residual limb maintains skin integrity and promotes comfort. Additionally, guiding the client through active range-of-motion exercises for unaffected extremities preserves the mobility and strength required for future rehabilitation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the client's postoperative timeframe (48 hours) and surgical procedure (below-the-knee amputation) to determine safe positioning and mobility requirements.
After 24 hours, interventions must strictly avoid promoting hip or knee flexion to prevent permanent contractures.
Contractures can severely delay or prevent the successful fitting and use of a prosthetic limb.
2
Identify non-pharmacological comfort measures and basic hygiene routines appropriate for the healing residual limb.
Gentle washing of intact skin and acknowledging phantom limb pain are prioritized.
Maintaining cleanliness prevents skin breakdown, while validating the client's pain experience supports both physiological comfort and psychosocial integrity.
3
Select all options that align with safe positioning, mobility maintenance, and therapeutic communication within the practical nurse's scope of basic care.
Prone positioning, gentle hygiene, and active range-of-motion for unaffected limbs are selected as correct.
These actions directly fulfill the learning objective of providing basic care and comfort while preventing common postoperative complications.

Key Concept

Postoperative Basic Care and Comfort for Amputation
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Topics

Basic Care and Comfort

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