A 13-year-old girl who was diagnosed with structural scoliosis after a routine screening at school is being fitted with a scoliosis brace. After teaching by the nurse about wearing the brace, which of the following statements by the patient indicates that the teaching was effective?

Explanation

•The brace should be removed for only 1 hour per day for hygiene and skin care.

•The patient will start by wearing the brace only a few hours a day and gradually increase to 23 hours a day.

•Incorrect: Wearing the brace only at night or taking it off for other periods of time would be allowed only after radiologic studies indicate the spine has reached skeletal maturity. The patient is then slowly weaned off the brace .

•Incorrect: Taking the brace off whenever tired indicates poor understanding of the brace. Caution children not to remove the brace during sleep because taking it off will compound the problem of discomfort and prolong the period of adjustment.

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