The nurse is ranking a patient's prescribed pain medications according to their strengths. Using the WHO analgesic ladder, in what order, from weakest to strongest, should the nurse rank the medications?
Choice 1. Morphine sulfate 5 mg IV
Choice 2. Ibuprofen 400 mg PO with the anticonvulsant gabapentin (Neurontin) 300 mg PO
Choice 3. Propoxyphene HCL (Darvon) 250 mg. PO
Choice 4. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 325 mg PO
Correct Answer: 4, 2, 3, 1
The nonopioid analgesics acetaminophen and ibuprofen are the least invasive, followed by the mild opioid analgesics with adjuvant therapy, and finally the opioids.
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The most appropriate explanation by the nurse to explain why a client cannot eat before surgery is
a. "Anesthesia works best on an empty stomach." b. "The stomach should be empty to prevent complications." c. "There is not enough time before surgery to digest the food." d. "You will not have to go to the bathroom frequently before surgery."
During the fourth stage of labor, the patient's assessment includes a BP of 110/60, pulse 90, and the fundus is firm midline and halfway between the symphysis pubis and the umbilicus. The priority action of the nurse is to:
1. Turn the patient onto her left side. 2. Place the bed in Trendelenburg position. 3. Massage the fundus. 4. Continue to monitor.
A client has recently begun medication therapy with propranolol (Inderal). The long-term care nurse should plan to notify the physician if which of the following assessment findings is noted?
1. Complaints of insomnia 2. Audible expiratory wheezes 3. Decrease in heart rate from 86 to 78 beats/min 4. Decrease in blood pressure from 162/90 to 136/84 mm Hg
A patient is complaining of moderate bladder pain and spasms secondary to a UTI. Which drug would assist in relieving symptoms?
a. Tolterodine (Detrol) b. Nitrofurantoin (Furadantin) c. Phenazopyridine hydrochloride (Pyridium) d. Oxybutynin chloride (Ditropan)