After taking orlistat for one week, a female client tells the home health nurse that she is experiencing increasingly frequent oily stools and flatus. Which action should the nurse take?

A. Ask the client to describe her dietary intake history for the last several days: Orlistat works by inhibiting fat absorption, and excessive intake of dietary fats can cause oily stools and gas. Assessing the client’s recent diet helps determine if her symptoms are due to high fat consumption, which can then be managed through dietary adjustments.B. Instruct the client to increase her intake of saturated fats over the next week: Increasing fat intake would likely worsen her symptoms, as orlistat prevents fat absorption, leading to more pronounced gastrointestinal side effects if fat intake remains high.C. Advise the client to stop taking the drug and contact her healthcare provider (HCP): Stopping orlistat is unnecessary at this stage. Oily stools are a common and expected side effect if dietary fat intake is not controlled, so addressing dietary habits is the first and more appropriate intervention.D. Obtain a stool specimen to evaluate for occult blood and fat content: There is no indication that the client’s symptoms suggest gastrointestinal bleeding. The oily stools are an anticipated effect of fat malabsorption caused by orlistat, not a sign of occult blood loss.