If the patient's wife expresses concerns about smoking while using oxygen, what is the best response?

The best response is to educate about the risks of smoking with oxygen. Smoking while using oxygen is highly dangerous because it significantly increases the risk of fire and explosion. Oxygen supports combustion, meaning that the presence of oxygen can make a small spark develop into a large fire quickly. By providing the wife with information about these risks, you help ensure their safety and that of others around them. Proper education can also empower her to take necessary precautions and encourage her husband to reduce or quit smoking entirely.

Conveying concerns to the discharge planning team, while important, does not address the immediate risk posed by smoking with oxygen. Monitoring closely does not mitigate the inherent dangers either. Only by educating the patient and his wife about the associated risks can effective and preventive actions be taken.