You are providing end-of-life care for a patient with metastatic bone cancer. You note that your patient has been receiving analgesic for her pain and is now having difficulty swallowing the medication. What should you do?
A) Request the physician to order sublingual medication.
B) Crush the medication.
C) Administer the patient's medication with the meal tray.
D) Administer the medication rectally.
Ans: A
Feedback: Patients who are receiving opioids can receive the medication sublingually, rectally, or by transdermal patch. A change in medication route must be made by a physician's order. Option B is incorrect; many of the pain medications cannot be crushed and given to a patient. Option C is incorrect; giving the medication with a meal is not going to make it any easier to swallow. Option D is incorrect; it is an invasive method of giving the medication and would not be a choice if a sublingual form of pain medication were available.
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Fill in the blank(s) with correct word