The doctor has ordered either heat or cold treatments for the older adult patient with a leg injury. The nursing care plan reflects secondary diagnoses of peripheral vascular disease (PVD), diabetes, and allergy to latex
Which of the ordered treatments would the nurse ad-minister, and why? 1. The nurse will use cold because diabetics and persons with latex allergies are heat-intolerant.
2. The nurse will use the cold for this patient with a fracture because the cold will help set the cast.
3. The nurse will use heat because cold is contraindicated for patients with periph-eral vascular disease.
4. The nurse will use heat because that will speed up circulation and increase infec-tion in the injured part.
3
Patients with PVD have blood flow problems that physiologically slow circulation. This problem would be exacerbated by cold. Heat will increase the circulation, which would be a desired effect.
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When planning for cancer survivor care needs, which information should the nurse consider?
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