Pain Management in Children

The nurse is preparing to assess the post-surgical pain level of a 6 year old. The child has appeared unwilling or unable to accurately report his pain level. Which of the following assessment tools would be most appropriate for this child? a. FACES pain rating scale b. FLACC behavioral scale c. Oucher pain rating d. visual analog and numerical scale

B. FLACC behavioral scale

The nurse is preparing to assess the pain of a developmentally and cognitively delayed 8 year old. Which of the pain rating scales should the nurse choose? a. FACES pain rating scale b. Word Graphic Rating Scale c. Adolescent Pediatric Pain tool d. Visual analog and Numerical scales

a. FACES

The nurse is providing post-surgical care for a 5 year old. The nurse knows to avoid which of the following questions when assessing the child's pain level? a. would you say that the pain you are feeling is sharp or dull? b. Would you point to the cartoon face that best describes your pain? c. Would you point to the spot where your pain is? d. Would you please show me with photograph and number best describes your hurt?

a. Would you say that the pain you are feeling is sharp or dull?

The nurse is assisting with the administration of parenteral opioids for a child for an initial dose. What action should the nurse take first? a. ensure naloxone is readily available b. assess for any adverse reaction c. assess the status of bowel sounds d. premedicate with acetaminophen

a. ensure naloxone is readily available

A nurse is interviewing the mother of a sleeping 10 year old girl in order to asses the level of the child's post-operative pain. Which of the following comments would trigger additional questions and necessitate further teaching? a. She is asleep, so she must not be in pain b. she has never had surgery before c. she is very articulate and will tell you how she feels d. she has a very easy going termperament

a. she is asleep so she must not be in pain

A nurse is assessing the pain level of an infant. Which of the following findings is not a typical physiologic indicator of pain? a. decreased oxygen saturation b. decreased heart rate c. palmar sweating d. plantar sweating

b. decreased heart rate

A nurse is caring for a 4 year old child who is exhibiting extreme anxiety and behavior upset prior to receiving stitches for a deep chin laceration. Which of the following is the priority nursing intervention? a. Ensuring that emergency equipment is readily available b. serving as an advocate for the family to ensure appropriate pharmacologic agents are chosen c. conducting an initial assessment of pain to serve as a baseline from which options for relief can be chosen d. ensuring the lighting is adequate for the procedure but not so bright to cause discomfort

b. serving as an advocate for the family to ensure appropriate pharmacologic agents are chosen

The nurse is providing teaching the parents of a 9 year old boy with episodes of chronic pain how to help manage his pain nonpharmacologically. Which of the following statements indicates a need for further teaching? a. We should perform the techniques along with him b. we should start the method as soon as he feels pain c. we need to identify the ways in which he shows pain d. we should select a method that he likes the best

b. we should start the method as soon as he feels pain

The nurse is assigned to care for a 14 year old child who is hospitalized in traction for serious leg fractures after an automobile accident. The parents ask the nurse to avoid administering analgesics to their child to help prevent him from becoming addicted. What response by the nurse is indicated? a. We can talk with the physician to see about reducing the amount of medications given to reduce the potential for addiction b. if there is no history of drug abuse in the family there should be no increased risk for the development of addiction d. your child is too young to experience drug addiction

c

The nurse is caring for a 5 year old child who underwent a painful surgical procedure earlier in the day. The nurse notes the child has not reported pain to any of the nursing staff. What action by the nurse is indicated? a. contact the physician to report the child's condition b. administer prophylactic analgesics c. observe for behavioral cues consistent with pain d. encourage the child to report pain

c.

The nurse is preparing to administer a dose of Toradol (ketorolac) to a 15 year old child. The nurse should do which of the following to reduce the potential for gastrointestinal upset? a. administer the medication before meals b. administer the medication with milk c. administer the medication with meals d. administer the medication with a citrus beverage

c.

A nurse is applying EMLA as ordered. The nurse understands that EMLA is contraindicated in which of the following situations? a. infants less than 6 weeks of age b. children with darker skin c. infants less than 12 months receiving methemoglobin-inducing agents. d children undergoing venous cannulation or intramuscular injections

c. infants less than 12 months receiving methhemoglobin-inducing agents

A pregnant teen voices concerns related to potential paralysis about the plans for an epidural anesthetic to be administered. What information can be provided to the teen? a. paralysis is not a serious concern for the procedure b. the spinal cord will not be damaged by the insertion of the epidural catheter c. the spinal cord ends above the area where the epidural is inserted d. the risk of paralysis is limited because your physician is skilled in the administration of epidurals

d.

The nurse is caring for a patient who is 30 weeks gestation. .The patient is preparing to undergo an invasive procedure on her unborn baby. The patient discusses the likelihood that her fetus will experience pain. Which of the following statements indicates an understanding of the influences of stimuli on the unborn fetus? a. unborn babies do not feel painful sensations b. since my child is a boy the amount of pain that he can experience is lessened c. painful stimuli can be felt by the fetus only in the hours prior to delivery d. the physiological maturity needed for the fetus to sense pain is present by about 23 weeks gestation

d.

The nurse is caring for a child who has received post-operative epidural analgesia. What is the priority nursing assessment? a. urinary retention b. pruritus c. Nausea and vomiting d. Respiratory depression

d. respiratory depression