A nurse is providing preoperative teaching about stool consistency to a client who will undergo a colectomy with the placement of an ileostomy. Which of the following information about stool consistency should the nurse include in the teaching?

Rationale: A. The stool will have a tarry color: Tarry stools typically indicate the presence of digested blood from upper gastrointestinal bleeding. This is not expected after an ileostomy, which involves the small intestine, not the upper GI tract. B. The stool will have a high volume of liquid: After a colectomy with ileostomy placement, stool bypasses the colon, where most water reabsorption occurs. As a result, the output from an ileostomy is typically frequent and liquid or semi-liquid in consistency. C. The stool will be solid and well-formed: Solid, well-formed stools are characteristic of a functioning colon. Because the colon is removed in a colectomy with ileostomy, stool will not be solid due to the lack of water absorption. D. The stool will appear bloody with clots: Bloody stools with clots suggest active bleeding, which is not expected in normal postoperative ileostomy output. This would be an abnormal finding and should be reported immediately.