The nurse asks the client fitted for crutches in physical therapy to ambulate in order to assess safety prior to discharge. The crutches should be fitted so that which portion of the client's body supports the weight?
1. Wrists
2. Arms
3. Elbows
4. Axilla
2. Arms
Rationale:
The weight of the body should rest on the arms. Weight on the wrists or elbows could indicate that the crutches are too short, which could cause the client to hunch over while walking, altering the center of gravity and increasing the potential for a fall. Weight on the axilla can cause radial nerve damage. Crutches that are too long will divert weight to the axilla.
You might also like to view...
A patient is undergoing a valvuloplasty to repair a defective heart valve. Patient education is aimed at which of the following priority areas of teaching?
A) Patient-controlled analgesia B) Long-term anticoagulant therapy C) Long-term steroid therapy D) Exercise program
An older adult patient who has cancer and Alzheimer's disease is crying but shakes her head "no" when asked about pain. The prescriber has ordered morphine sulfate 2 to 4 mg IV every 2 hours PRN pain
It has been 4 hours since a dose has been given. What will the nurse do? a. Administer 4 mg of morphine and monitor this patient's verbal and nonverbal res-ponses. b. Give 2 mg of morphine for pain to avoid increasing this patient's level of confusion. c. Request an order for a nonopioid analgesic or an antidepressant adjuvant analgesic. d. Withhold any analgesic at this time and reassess the patient in 30 to 60 minutes.
A child, age 7 years, has a fever associated with a viral illness. She is being cared for at home. What is the principal reason for treating fever in this child?
a. Relief of discomfort b. Reassurance that illness is temporary c. Prevention of secondary bacterial infection d. Avoidance of life-threatening complications
You are a home health nurse and are at a local pharmacy picking up a prescription for your client. As you leave the pharmacy, you observe a man forceably taking a woman's keys and her purse. She falls to the ground as he takes her car
You, of course, assist as much as you can, but you find yourself dreaming about the situation and are fearful to return to that pharmacy. You realize you may be exhibiting signs and symptoms of: A) PTSD B) Generalized anxiety disorder C) Bipolar depression D) Panic disorder