After unilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing's disease, which discharge instruction is most appropriate?

• A. Instruct the client to take the glucocorticosteroid and mineralocorticosteroid medications as prescribed.
• B. Teach the client regarding sexual functioning and androgen replacement therapy.
• C. Explain the signs and symptoms of infection and when to call the health-care provider.
• D. Demonstrate turn, cough, and deep-breathing exercises that the client should perform every 2 hours.

Answer: (C)

After adrenal surgery, the body's healing process and immune defenses are temporarily vulnerable, making infection a critical safety concern. Teaching the patient to recognize signs of infection and know when to contact the health-care provider helps catch problems early and prevent complications like wound infection or sepsis. Helpful examples to understand include fever or chills, increasing redness, swelling, warmth, or drainage at the incision, foul-smelling wound drainage, or the patient feeling unusually weak or dizzy. If any of these symptoms appear, timely medical evaluation is essential.

While other aspects of care—such as whether to take steroid medications, concerns about sexual function and hormone replacement, or respiratory exercises—may be relevant in certain cases, they do not address the most immediate safety need for discharge after this surgery. The priority is ensuring the patient can monitor for infection and seek prompt help if needed.