A client who has returned from surgery after an amputation of the lower leg complains of significant pain in the absent foot. The nurse should:
1. tell the client the foot is gone.
2. administer pain medication.
3. request a psychiatric consult.
4. notify the physician.
Answer: 2
1. It is thought that, even though the limb is gone, the nerve tracts remain causing phantom pain that the client actually feels.
2. The nurse administers pain medication for a very real pain.
3. The client may require referral to a pain clinic, not a psychiatrist.
4. The physician will expect phantom pain and does not need to be notified.
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