What finding is of greatest concern for a client receiving chemotherapy and on neutropenic precautions?

The correct answer highlights a significant concern for a client undergoing chemotherapy and on neutropenic precautions. When a patient is neutropenic, they have a lower than normal number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting off infections. This condition makes them highly susceptible to infections.

Burning on urination can indicate a urinary tract infection (UTI) or other infectious process, which poses a serious risk to a neutropenic patient. Infections can quickly become life-threatening due to the compromised immune response, and symptoms such as burning during urination warrant immediate attention. This finding necessitates prompt assessment and intervention to prevent severe complications.

In contrast, loss of appetite, hair loss, and difficulty sleeping, while distressing symptoms often associated with chemotherapy, do not carry the same immediate risk of severe infection that burning on urination does. These symptoms can be managed and may not pose a direct threat to the client’s health in the same way an infection would. Thus, the greatest concern in this scenario is the potential for an infection indicated by the burning on urination.