Assignment task:
The client is an 80-year-old retired school teacher. She was recently seen by her HCP for the removal of a non-cancerous skin lesion. Now she suspects that the wound on her arm has become infected. She has attempted to report this condition to her HCP. However, due to the holidays, she has been unable to reach him. The client presents to a local urgent care clinic for assessment and treatment.
The physical assessment and diagnostic tests reveal the following findings: VS Temp 38 degrees C; P, 110 bpm; resp rate, 20; and BP 108/68 mmHg. The large dressing on her left arm is saturated with dried yellow-green exudate. She states that it is painful to move her left arm and that the pain has limited her range of motion in the affected extremity.
She is pale and has "paper thin", fragile skin. The client reports that she did not change the dressing because she was not told to do so by her HCP when the skin lesion was removed. A series of laboratory tests were completed. A sterile dressing was applied to the wound. The client was given an injection of cefazolin (Ancef) and a prescription for antibiotics. She was also instructed to follow up with her HCP within the next 2 to 3 days.
Critical Thinking Questions
Q1. What factors possibly contributed to the wound infection in this client?
Q2. What laboratory tests were probably obtained during this visit to the urgent care clinic?
Q3. What were the possible risk factors for infection, if any?
Q4. What information should the nurse provide to the client concerning the prescribed antibiotic?
Q5. What classification of antibiotic is cefazolin and how does this drug work?
Q6. Which member(s) of the interprofessional team would the community nurse consult with in order to provide additional support for the client at home? Provide a rationale for your response(s).