A patient with chronic pain is being started on a "patch." What should the nurse instruct the patient about this pain-relieving delivery system?
1. It will not work as well as oral pain medications.
2. The dosage will be lower in the beginning.
3. The patient will never experience breakthrough pain.
4. The patient will never overdose with this delivery method.
Correct Answer: 2
Dosages for the "patch" start low and are increased as deemed necessary by the physician. The transdermal, or patch, form of medication is increasingly being used because it is simple, painless, and delivers a continuous level of medication. The continuous dosage is an advantage over oral medications. Transdermal medications are easy to store and apply, and reapplying every 72 hours enhances compliance. Additional short-acting medication is often needed for breakthrough pain. Overdosage can occur with this route.
You might also like to view...
A new pediatric hospital is under development. A suggestion that has been shown to improve the psychological comfort of children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit would be:
1. Limiting the number of visitors to allow the child to rest. 2. Allowing the parents to visit every two hours for 10 to 15 minutes. 3. Planning all rooms to be two-patient rooms so each child will have another child for comfort and support. 4. Providing a bed for a parent to stay with the child in the PICU.
Mr. Jones is a healthy, retired 68-year-old man. He has not been seen by his primary care physician since he was 55 years old. His immunization history is unavailable. At this time, he should be considered for
a. D/T (diphtheria-tetanus) vaccine, flu shot, pneumonia vaccine b. Meningococcal vaccine, HepB (hepatitis B) series, flu shot c. Flu shot, gamma shot, HepB series d. MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, flu shot, pneumonia shot
Nursing involves many areas for client education. Areas that the nurse can reinforce via teaching the client regarding adapting to altered health and function include: Standard Text: Select all that apply
1. Health screening. 2. Nutrition. 3. Problem-solving skills. 4. Strategies to deal with problems. 5. Facilitation of a strong self-image.
The nurse frequently assesses the respiratory status of a preterm newborn based on the understanding that the newborn is at increased risk for respiratory distress syndrome because of which of the following?
A) Inability to clear fluids B) Immature respiratory control center C) Deficiency of surfactant D) Smaller respiratory passages