A severely cognitively impaired adult has had a surgical procedure, and the nurse is having a difficult time assessing the level of pain the client is having postoperatively. What method can the nurse use to obtain data about the client's pain?
A) Have the client point to a smiley face or a frown.
B) Ask the client to point to a pain level between 0 and 10 on a chart.
C) Use behavioral comparison of the client's current and previous behavior patterns.
D) Ask the client loudly if he is having any pain and what level it is.
C
Feedback:
Cognitively impaired older adults may be unable to report pain; comparison of current behavior with previous behavior patterns and reports from caregivers can help in assessing pain in these clients. Pain may manifest as agitation; aggression; withdrawal; or changes in behavior, positioning, or sleep patterns. The other methods would not be appropriate for a cognitively impaired client. Asking the client loudly will not increase his understanding.
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