A client with a known opioid addiction is scheduled for surgery tomorrow. The nurse can best meet this client's needs for pain control by incorporating which interventions into the plan of care? (Select all that apply.)

Question

a. Be prepared to use higher than normal doses of pain medications.
b. Involve the client and significant others in planning pain management techniques.
c. Offer a referral to an addictions' specialist.
d. Plan to taper opioids slowly to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
e. Request a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump for the immediate postopera-tive phase.

Answer 1

A, B, D, E
Clients with addictions deserve pain control. Addicted clients will probably need higher than normal doses of opioid analgesics. Involve the client and significant others (if the client agrees) in planning pain control. Tapering opioids should be done slowly to avoid withdrawal symptoms. A PCA pump works well for acute pain relief. Ideally the client should be offered a referral to an addictions' specialist, but the evening before surgery is not the time to plan for addictions' counseling.