The Patient Asks the Nurse to Irrigate Both Ear Canals

The patient asks the nurse to irrigate both ear canals to improve hearing and comfort.The patient has bilateral brown ear drainage and a history of a right mastoidectomy and perforation of the left tympanic membrane.Which intervention should the nurse implement first?

A) Inform the patient that the ears are infected.
B) Perform an otoscopic examination of the canals.
C) Collaborate with the audiologist about a hearing aid.
D) Irrigate the ear canals with warm saline solution.