A patient receiving total parenteral nutrition is to be discharged to home care. The nurse recognizes that preventing complications such as infection and metabolic imbalances are major concerns that must be included in the discharge plan. When conducting the discharge teaching, which of the following will the nurse emphasize?

Explanation

•Blood glucose monitoring should be done regularly, and the patient should be alert for signs of infection at the catheter site or fever. A rise in temperature and unexplained hyperglycemia are symptoms of sepsis.

•To prevent bacterial contamination, tubing should be changed every 24 hours.

•The signs of infection are tenderness, redness, and possible drainage on the insertion site.

•Prophylactic antibiotics are not generally prescribed for patients with central venous catheters.

•Pallor and immobility are not signs of infection.

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