A nurse in a physician's office receives a telephone call from the mother of a child who tells the nurse that the child was just stung by a bee. The mother asks the nurse for instructions regarding removal of the stinger. Which of the following instructions should the nurse provide to the mother?

A. Squeezing the stinger can force additional venom from the venom sac into the skin, increasing pain, swelling, and the risk of a more severe local or systemic reaction. B. Washing the area with soap and water is important to reduce the risk of infection, but applying heat to “help the stinger move out” is not effective and could irritate the skin. C. The recommended method is to carefully scrape the stinger out horizontally with a flat object, such as a credit card or fingernail. This removes the stinger quickly while minimizing additional venom injection and tissue trauma. D. Leaving the stinger in place allows continued venom release, which can prolong swelling, redness, pain, and increase the risk of systemic reactions, particularly in children sensitive to bee venom.