A licensed practical nurse (LPN) notes a small area of swelling at the IV site of a patient receiving a vesicant chemotherapy agent. What is the nurse's priority action to prevent tissue damage?

Rationale: A. Removing the catheter without first aspirating the vesicant allows the drug to remain in the tissue, increasing the risk of severe local tissue necrosis. This is not the recommended first action. B. Some vesicant extravasations do require antidote administration, but the antidote is not always given through the IV line itself and typically after the solution is aspirated. Administering through the IV without removing the drug from the tissue first can worsen tissue injury. C. The priority action is to stop the infusion and carefully aspirate any residual vesicant from the catheter before removing it. This minimizes the amount of vesicant that enters surrounding tissue, reducing necrosis, blistering, and long-term damage. After aspiration, the nurse follows facility protocol for antidote administration, compression (warm or cold depending on the drug), and site monitoring. D. While elevation and warm or cold compresses are part of post-extravasation care, they are secondary interventions. The priority is to stop the infusion and remove as much vesicant as possible to prevent further tissue injury.