A nurse is caring for a client with acute pericarditis who reports substernal precordial pain that radiates to the left side of the neck. Which nonpharmacologic comfort measure should the nurse implement?
a. Apply an ice pack to the client's chest.
b. Provide a neck rub, especially on the left side.
c. Allow the client to lie in bed with the lights down.
d. Sit the client up with a pillow to lean forward on.
ANS: D
Pain from acute pericarditis may worsen when the client lays supine. The nurse should position the client in a comfortable position, which usually is upright and leaning slightly forward. Pain is decreased by using gravity to take pressure off the heart muscle. An ice pack and neck rub will not relieve this pain.
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