An older adult is admitted to the hospital after a serious fall. When noting that the client has been prescribed meperidine (Demerol) for muscle pain, the nurse:
a. administers the medication so as to pre-vent the client from developing the fear of pain.
b. questions the client and family concerning any allergies to analgesic medications.
c. calls the physician to question the appro-priateness of this medication order.
d. conducts a pain assessment and deter-mines the client's need for an analgesic medication.
ANS: C
Some medications used in younger adults, for example, meperidine (Demerol), are always con-traindicated in the older adult. The metabolites of Demerol can cause confusion, psychotic be-havior, and seizure activity. The remaining options would not be inappropriate, except for the fact that they relate to the administration of an inappropriate medication.
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