Week 6: Pain EAQ
A client who just returned from a cardiac catheterization reports to the nurse that the pressure bandage on the right groin is tight. What action should the nurse take?
Assess the pulses distal to the dressing.
A nurse applies a cold pack to treat an acute musculoskeletal injury. Cold therapy decreases pain by doing what?
Causing local vasoconstriction, preventing edema and muscle spasms
A client is diagnosed with a peptic ulcer. What should the nurse expect when assessing the client's pain?
Occurs in one to two hours after having a meal
A nurse is about to perform a wound irrigation on a client who had a left hemispheric stroke 1 year ago. Which assessment is most important for the nurse to perform before beginning the irrigation?
Pain
The nurse is providing postoperative care to a client who had an abdominal cholecystectomy and choledochostomy who has a T-tube and a nasogastric tube in place. The client refuses deep breathing and coughing exercises. Which conclusion by the nurse is the most probable reason for the noncompliance?
Pain at the incision site increases.
A client is admitted to the hospital for an emergency cardiac catheterization. What adaptation is the client most likely to complain of after this procedure?
Pain at the insertion site
A 16-year-old girl with sickle cell anemia is experiencing a painful episode (vaso-occlusive crisis) and has a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump. She complains of pain (5 on a scale of 1 to 10) in her right elbow. The nurse observes that the pump is "locked out" for another 10 minutes. What action should the nurse implement?
Placing the prescribed as-needed warm, wet compress on the elbow
Which factor may cause a client neck pain?
Poor posture
A teenager is admitted with an acute onset of right lower quadrant pain at McBurney point. Appendicitis is suspected. For which clinical indicator should the nurse assess the client to determine if the pain is secondary to appendicitis?
Rebound tenderness
Which caring intervention helps to provide comfort, dignity, respect, and peace to a client?
Relieving pain and suffering
Three days after a cast is applied to a client's fractured tibia, the client reports that there is a burning pain over the ankle. The cast over the ankle feels warm to the touch, and the pain is not relieved when the client changes position. What is the nurse's priority action?
Report the client's concern to the primary healthcare provider.
A client is receiving oxycodone postoperatively for pain. The healthcare provider's prescription indicates that the dose should be administered every 3 hours for eight doses. What should the nurse assess before administering each dose of oxycodone?
Respiratory rate and level of consciousness
After an amputation of a limb, a client begins to experience extreme discomfort in the area where the limb once was. What is the nurse's greatest concern at this time?
Addressing the pain
The nurse is caring for a client who is in pain following surgery. The nurse informs the primary health care provider about the client's request for pain medication. What is the role of the nurse in this situation?
Advocate
An adolescent who has had a leg amputated because of bone cancer begins to experience phantom limb sensations. How should the nurse respond when the client complains of pain and requests medication?
By acknowledging that the pain is real and administering medication to relieve it
Two hours after a cardiac catheterization that was accessed through the right femoral route, an adult client complains of numbness and pain in the right foot. What action should the nurse take first?
Check the client's pedal pulses.
A client is receiving patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) after surgery. What does the nurse identify as the primary benefit with this type of therapy?
Client is able to self-administer pain-relieving drugs as necessary
What is the nurse's primary consideration when caring for a client with rheumatoid arthritis?
Comfort
Which anesthetic drug is commonly used for short procedures on pediatric clients?
Fentanyl
A client is admitted to the hospital with jaundiced skin and acute abdominal pain. What is the nurse's most therapeutic response when the client refuses all visitors?
Listen to the client's fears
A client with pain and paresthesia of the left leg is scheduled for an electromyogram. What should the nurse discuss with the client before the test is performed?
Needles will be inserted into the affected muscles during the test.
A 14-year-old girl in whom scoliosis has been diagnosed undergoes spinal fusion. On the first postoperative day her face is red, she is rigid, and she is crying because she is in pain. She has prescriptions for morphine sulfate for severe pain and an acetaminophen-codeine compound for moderate pain. What information should influence the nurse's choice of analgesic?
Spinal fusion causes considerable pain during the early postoperative days, and morphine is the more effective analgesic.
The nurse is assessing a client who had knee replacement surgery. Which assessment finding gathered by the nurse is an example of subjective data?
The client's pain is 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.
An adult client is brought to the emergency department after an accident. The client has limitations in mental functioning related to Down syndrome. How can the nurse best assess the client's pain level?
Using Wong's "Pain Faces"
A nurse is assessing a client who underwent abdominal surgery 10 days ago. The client complains of pain in the abdomen. What type of pain does the client experience?
Visceral pain
