An older adult is admitted to the hospital with complications resulting from lung cancer with metastases to bone. A long-acting opioid administered around-the-clock is prescribed. When explaining this intervention to the family, the nurse bases the explan

the explanation on the principle that this technique:
a. Pre-vents the development of an addiction to opioids.
b. Pro-vides more stable therapeutic plasma levels of the drug.
c. Pre-vents many side effects of traditionally administered opioids.
d. Pro-vides relief with lesser amounts of opioids.


ANS: B
Administering pain medications on an around-the-clock dosing schedule provides more sta-ble therapeutic plasma level of drugs and eliminates the extremes of overmedication or un-der-medication. Around-the-clock dosing does not address the fear of addiction issue. The fear of addiction is unfounded; the issue is adequate pain relief for an individual with malignant pain. The nurse needs to assess for the side effects of opioids with any dosing schedule. Around-the-clock dosing does not necessarily decrease the amount of opioids used; however, it does allow for better pain management.

Nursing

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Which of the following sampling techniques reduces the possibility of researcher bias?

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The client with heart failure has been ordered to receive a daily nitroglycerin transdermal patch. What action taken by the nurse would help avoid tolerance to the vasodilating effects of this medication?

A. Place an occlusive dressing over the patch. B. Remove the patch overnight. C. Rotate the skin site of nitroglycerin administration. D. Administer a larger loading dose before the initiation of therapy.

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Which finding is abnormal when conducting inspection as part of a cardiovascular assessment?

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