A nurse is reinforcing teaching with the parents of a child who has a new diagnosis of Wilms' tumor. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?
Explanation & Rationale
Rationale: A. "Your child should have surgery in 7 to 10 days to remove the tumor.": Surgical removal of the tumor is a priority and is usually scheduled promptly after diagnosis, not delayed by a week or more. Early intervention reduces the risk of tumor rupture or metastasis. B. "You should not palpate your child's abdomen prior to surgery.": Avoiding abdominal palpation is crucial because Wilms’ tumors are highly vascular and encapsulated. Palpation could cause rupture, leading to tumor cell spread into the peritoneal cavity and increasing the risk of metastasis. C. "You should give your child captopril 200 mg PO daily.": Captopril is not a standard medication in the treatment of Wilms’ tumor. It is an antihypertensive that may be used if the child has associated hypertension, but the dosage listed is excessive for pediatric use and should not be prescribed without specific indications. D. "Your child will not require further treatment after removal of the tumor.": Most children require additional therapy, such as chemotherapy and/or radiation, depending on tumor staging. Surgical removal alone is rarely curative, particularly in advanced or bilateral cases.