An older client who received an oral pain medication asks why the pain still seems intense. What should the nurse respond to this client?
1. "You have a decreased amount of fat body weight."
2. "You have reduced kidney blood flow."
3. "You have increased liver blood flow."
4. "Your stomach is slower at emptying."
Answer: 4
1. The older client has a decreased amount of lean body weight, which affects distribution of the drug.
2. Reduced blood flow to the kidney affects the excretion, not the effectiveness, of the drug.
3. Drugs are processed by the liver, which has decreased blood flow and thus a slower processing rate.
4. As clients age, the stomach empties more slowly. This makes the absorption time longer than in a younger client. For older clients in significant pain the nurse might consider a different route of administration, such as IV or IM.
You might also like to view...
The nurse has implemented several planned interventions to address the nursing diagnosis of acute pain. Which would be the next appropriate action?
a. Establish priorities. b. Identify expected outcomes. c. Evaluate the individual's condition, and compare actual outcomes with expected outcomes. d. Interpret data, and then identify clusters of cues and make inferences.
Listening to a lecture then rewriting and rearranging the notes seems to work well for a student. This particular learner may also be considered to be which of the following?
a. A concrete thinker b. A reflective observer c. A data organizer d. A hands-on learner
A client with hyperemesis gravidarum is admitted to the facility after being cared for at home without success. Which of the following would the nurse expect to include in the client's plan of care?
A) Clear liquid diet B) Total parenteral nutrition C) Nothing by mouth D) Administration of labetalol
As the instrument nurse, how will you manage the passing of sharps for this case?
Amy Pinehurst is a 30-year-old woman scheduled to come to your theatre for an emergency laparoscopic appendicectomy. She has had previous surgeries where it was noted she had abdominal adhesions. Her admission form says she weighs 50 kg. What will be an ideal response?