Chapter 42: Management of Patients with Musculoskeletal Trauma

An important nursing assessment, post fracture, is to evaluate neurovascular status. Therefore, the nurse should check for:

Capillary refill.

A client reports pain in the right knee, stating, "My knee got twisted when I was going down the stairs." The client was diagnosed with an injury to the ligaments and tendons of the right knee. Which terminology, documented by the nurse, best reflects the injury?

Sprain

A client sustains an injury to the ligaments surrounding a joint. What will the nurse identify this injury as?

Sprain

Which term refers to an injury to ligaments and other soft tissues surrounding a joint?

Sprain

The client with a fractured left humerus reports dyspnea and chest pain. Pulse oximetry is 88%. Temperature is 100.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.5 degrees Centigrade); heart rate is 110 beats per minute; respiratory rate is 32 breaths per minute. The nurse suspects the client is experiencing:

Fat embolism syndrome

A client is brought to the emergency department after being struck with a baseball bat on the upper arm while diving for a pitched ball. Diagnostic tests reveal that the humerus is not broken but that the client has suffered another type of injury. What type of injury would the physician likely diagnose?

contusion

An x-ray demonstrates a fracture in which the fragments of bone are driven inward. This type of fracture is referred to as

depressed.

A client who has injured a hip in a fall cannot place weight on the leg and is in significant pain. After radiographs indicate intact yet malpositioned bones, what repair would the physician perform?

joint manipulation and immobilization

A client has had surgical repair of a hip injury after joint manipulation was unsuccessful. After surgery, the nurse implements measures to prevent complications. Which complications is the nurse seeking to prevent? Select all that apply.

skin breakdown wound infection pneumonia

A client has been diagnosed with a muscle strain. What does the physician mean with the term "strain"?

stretched or pulled beyond its capacity

A client undergoes a total hip replacement. Which statement made by the client indicates to the nurse that the client requires further teaching?

"I don't know if I'll be able to get off that low toilet seat at home by myself."

A 14-year-old client is treated in the emergency room for an acute knee sprain sustained during a soccer game. The nurse reviews discharge instructions with the client's parent. The nurse instructs the parent that the acute inflammatory stage will last how long?

24 to 48 hours

A client had an above-the-knee amputation of the left leg related to complications from peripheral vascular disease. The nurse enters the client's room and observes the dressing and bed covers saturated with blood. What is the first action by the nurse?

Apply a tourniquet.

When providing discharge teaching to a client with a fractured toe, the nurse should include which instruction?

Apply ice to the fracture site.

A patient has stepped in a hole in the yard, causing an ankle injury. The ankle is edematous and painful to palpation. How long should the nurse inform the patient that the acute inflammatory stage will last?

Between 24 and 48 hours

A client reports to the emergency department after experiencing pain in the left arm. The client reports having extended both arms in an attempt to prevent a fall. Which fracture type does the nurse anticipate?

Colles fracture

A client was climbing a ladder, slipped on a rung, and fell on the right side of the chest. X-ray studies reveal three rib fractures, and the client reports pain with inspiration. What is the anticipated treatment for this client?

Coughing and deep breathing with pillow splinting

A patient sustains an open fracture of the left arm after an accident at the roller skating rink. What does emergency management of this fracture involve? (Select all that apply.)

Covering the area with a clean dressing if the fracture is open Immobilizing the affected site Splinting the injured limb

Which of the following disorders results in widespread hemorrhage andmicrothrombosis with ischemia?

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

Colles fracture occurs in which area?

Distal radius

A patient sustained an open fracture of the femur 24 hours ago. While assessing the patient, the nurse observes the patient is having difficulty breathing, and oxygen saturation decreases to 88% from a previous 99%. What does the nurse understand is likely occurring with this patient?

Fat emboli

The nurse is monitoring a patient who sustained a fracture of the left hip. The nurse should be aware that which kind of shock can be a complication of this type of injury?

Hypovolemic

Elderly clients who fall are most at risk for which injuries?

Pelvic fractures

When is it advisable for the nurse to apply heat to a sprain or a contusion?

After 2 days

A client is treated in the emergency department for acute muscle strain in the left leg caused by trying a new exercise. During discharge preparation, the nurse should provide which instruction?

"Apply ice packs for the first 24 to 48 hours, then apply heat packs."

A client asks the nurse why his residual limb cannot be elevated on a pillow. What is the best response by the nurse?

"Elevating the leg might lead to a flexion contracture."

Which nursing diagnosis takes highest priority for a client with a compound fracture?

Infection related to effects of trauma

Which factor inhibits fracture healing?

Local malignancy

An adult is swinging a small child by the arms, and the child screams and grabs his left arm. It is determined in the emergency department that the radial head is partially dislocated. What is this partially dislocated radial head documented as?

Subluxation

A client with a recent left above-the-knee amputation states, "I can feel pain in my left toes." Which is the best response by the nurse?

"Describe the pain and rate it on the pain scale."

The primary nursing intervention that will control swelling while treating a musculoskeletal injury is:

Elevate the affected area.

After a car accident, a client is admitted to an acute care facility with multiple traumatic injuries, including a fractured pelvis. For 24 to 48 hours after the accident, the nurse must monitor the client closely for which potential complication of a fractured pelvis?

Fat embolism

After surgery to treat a hip fracture, a client returns from the postanesthesia care unit to the medical-surgical unit. Postoperatively, how should the nurse position the client?

With the leg on the affected side abducted

A client is experiencing pain, joint instability, and difficulty walking due to an injury to the knee ligaments. The injury was judged not to require surgery. Which intervention would not be included in this client's care?

traction

A client is transported to the emergency department for a femur fracture following a motor vehicle crash. What action by the nurse is the highest priority?

Assess vital signs and level of consciousness.

In a client with a dislocation, the nurse should initially perform neurovascular assessments a minimum of every 15 minutes until stable. Which complication does the assessments help the nurse to monitor?

Compartment syndrome

A client with arterial insufficiency undergoes below-knee amputation of the right leg. Which action should the nurse include in the postoperative care plan?

Elevating the stump for the first 24 hours

Which nursing intervention is appropriate for a client with a closed-reduction extremity fracture?

Encourage participation in ADLs

The femur fracture that commonly leads to avascular necrosis or nonunion because of an abundant supply of blood vessels in the area is a fracture of the:

Femoral neck.

Which type of fracture involves a break through only part of the cross-section of the bone?

Incomplete

A nurse is caring for a client who underwent a total hip replacement. What should the nurse and other caregivers do to prevent dislocation of the new prosthesis?

Prevent internal rotation of the affected leg.

A nurse is caring for a client who has sustained ligament and a meniscal injury to the knee. Which action would be most appropriate to allow the client to progress without causing further injury?

Assist with a gradual introduction of activity.

A client who has sustained a fracture reports an increase in pain and decreased function of the affected extremity. What will the nurse suspect?

Avascular necrosis

If a dislocation is not treated promptly, tissue death due to anoxia can occur. This would be documented as which of the following?

Avascular necrosis (AVN)

The nurse is caring for a client who was involved in an automobile accident and sustained multiple trauma. The client has a Volkmann's contracture to the right hand. What objective data does the nurse document related to this finding?

Claw-like deformity of the right hand without ability to extend fingers

Which assessment findings would the nurse expect to find in the postoperative client experiencing fat embolism syndrome?

Column B

An x-ray demonstrates a fracture in which a bone has splintered into several pieces. Which type of fracture is this?

Comminuted

A client is admitted to the emergency room after being hit by a car while riding a bicycle. The client sustained a fracture of the left femur, and the bone is protruding through the skin. What type of fracture does the nurse recognize requires emergency intervention?

Compound

The nurse is monitoring a patient who sustained an open fracture of the left hip. What type of shock should the nurse be aware can occur with this type of injury?

Hypovolemic

Radiographic evaluation of a client's fracture reveals that a bone fragment has been driven into another bone fragment. The nurse identifies this as which type of fracture?

Impacted

A nurse is assigned to support a patient while a cast is being applied to treat a greenstick fracture. The nurse documents that this fracture is classified as what type of fracture?

Incomplete

A client undergoes open reduction with internal fixation to treat an intertrochanteric fracture of the right hip. The nurse should include which intervention in the postoperative care plan?

Keeping a pillow between the client's legs at all times

A client who was in a motor vehicle crash is diagnosed with a stable T7 spinal fracture with no neurologic deficits. Which nursing intervention should the nurse implement?

Maintain bed rest with the head of the bed at 20 degrees.

The emergency department nurse teaches clients with sports injuries to remember the acronym PRICE. This acronym stands for which combination of treatments?

Protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation

A client with a traumatic amputation of the right lower leg is refusing to look at the leg. Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?

Provide feedback on the client's strengths and available resources.

Which nursing intervention is essential in caring for a client with compartment syndrome?

Removing all external sources of pressure, such as clothing and jewelry

Which of the following musculoskeletal injuries is manifested by acromioclavicular joint pain?

Rotator cuff tears

A client is being discharged from the Emergency Department after being diagnosed with a sprained ankle. Which client statement indicates the client understands the discharge teaching?

"I'll make sure to keep my ankle elevated as much as possible."

Which of the following is a term used to describe a soft tissue injury produced by a blunt force?

Contusion

There are a variety of problems that can become complications after a fracture. Which is described as a condition that occurs from interruption of the blood supply to the fracture fragments after which the bone tissue dies, most commonly in the femoral head?

avascular necrosis

A patient sustains a fracture of the arm. When does the nurse anticipate pendulum exercise should begin?

As soon as tolerated, after a reasonable period of immobilization

Which of the following would lead a nurse to suspect that a client has a rotator cuff tear?

Difficulty lying on affected side

The type of fracture described as having one side of the bone broken and the other side bent would be:

greenstick.

Which factor inhibits fracture healing?

History of diabetes

Which term refers to the failure of fragments of a fractured bone to heal together?

Nonunion

Which client(s) is most likely to have compartment syndrome after sustaining a fracture? Select all that apply.

The client with elevated pressure within the muscles The client with hemorrhage in the site of injury The client with a plaster cast applied immediately after injury

An older adult client slipped on an area rug at home and fractured the left hip. The client is unable to have surgery immediately and is having severe pain. What interventions should the nurse provide for the patient to minimize energy loss in response to pain?

Administer prescribed analgesics around-the-clock.