Before administering vincristine, which nursing assessment is essential to monitor for potential neurotoxicity?

• A. Temperature measurement
• B. Urine output
• C. Blood pressure measurement
• D. Assessing for foot drop

Answer: (D)

Vincristine commonly causes peripheral nerve damage that first shows up as motor weakness in the legs. Checking for foot drop—difficulty lifting the front of the foot due to dorsiflexion weakness—provides a direct early signal of neurotoxicity. Detecting this early is crucial because it may lead to adjusting or delaying the drug to prevent progression of nerve injury. Temperature, urine output, and blood pressure are important overall monitoring but do not specifically reflect vincristine-induced neurotoxicity, whereas changes in lower-extremity motor function do.