The nurse is planning pre-operative teaching about scopolamine for a client having surgery. What information should the nurse include?

A. Apply the patch approximately one hour before surgery: Scopolamine is a transdermal anticholinergic used to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting by blocking muscarinic receptors in the vestibular system. It must be applied prior to anesthesia to allow systemic absorption and therapeutic effect. Preoperative application ensures adequate plasma levels during and after surgery. B. This medication will cause your heart rate to lower: Scopolamine produces anticholinergic effects, including inhibition of parasympathetic activity at the sinoatrial node. This results in tachycardia rather than bradycardia. A decrease in heart rate is not an expected effect. C. The patch should be removed immediately after surgery: The scopolamine patch is designed to provide sustained medication delivery for up to 72 hours. Removing it immediately after surgery would reduce its effectiveness in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. Removal timing is based on symptom control, not immediate postoperative status. D. The scopolamine will make you urinate frequently: Anticholinergic medications reduce detrusor muscle contraction and can cause urinary retention. Increased urinary frequency is inconsistent with its pharmacologic action. Clients are instead monitored for difficulty initiating urination.