A nurse is providing care for a client who has had a cast applied to her fractured arm 6 hours prior
The client is now complaining of severe pain that she describes as "even worse than when I broke my arm." What would be the nurse's best course of action?
A)
Administration of analgesics and teaching the client about the normal course of pain after a fracture
B)
Teaching the client simple range of motion exercises to promote circulation and perfusion
C)
Taking the client's temperature due to the possibility of infection
D)
Assessment of motor and sensory function with the goal of identifying compartment syndrome
Ans:
D
Feedback:
Severe pain in the site of a fracture that is out of proportion to the original injury is a hallmark of compartment syndrome. Assessment of sensory and motor function would be an appropriate first action. Analgesia alone and exercises would be insufficient to diagnose or address compartment syndrome, and infection would be an unlikely etiology of sudden pain after cast application.
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