The client calls the nurse into the room and says that the heat pack the nurse applied feels cold, and asks the nurse to turn the heat up on the aquathermia unit. Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?
1. "I'll turn it up a little at a time and you let me know when it feels warm again."
2. "The doctor wants the aquathermia pad maintained at a specific temperature, so there's no need to change it."
3. "The aquathermia pad still feels warm to me."
4. "Your body has adjusted to the warmth, and is making it feel cooler, but it's actually the same temperature as when it was first applied."
Correct Answer: 4
When the heat pack is applied, the body vasodilates the vessels near the warmth and the heat pack begins to feel cold, when in fact it is the same temperature it was when first applied. If the nurse increases the temperature, there is a great risk the client will be burned. Telling the client the doctor ordered it this way or that the pad feels warm to the nurse does not explain the phenomenon that causes the pad to feel cooler or give the client a reason for why the temperature is not increased.
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