A nurse assesses a client who is prescribed 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)chemotherapy intravenously for the treatment of colon cancer.Which assessment finding should alert the nurse to contact the health care provider?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Common side effects of 5-FU include fatigue,leukopenia,diarrhea,mucositis and mouth ulcers,and peripheral neuropathy.However,the client's WBC count is very low (normal range is 5000 to 10,000/mm³),so the provider should be notified.He or she may want to delay chemotherapy by a day or two.Certainly the client is at high risk for infection.The other assessment findings are consistent with common side effects of 5-FU that would not need to be reported immediately.

A Nurse Assesses a Client Who Is Prescribed 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)chemotherapy