The nurse is providing care to manage the pain of a patient with burns. The physician has ordered opiates to be given intramuscularly. The nurse contacts the physician to change the order to intravenous administration because:
a. intramuscular injections cause additional skin disruption.
b. burn pain is so severe it requires relief by the fastest route available.
c. hypermetabolism limits effectiveness of medications administered intramuscularly.
d. tissue edema may interfere with drug absorption of injectable routes.
D
Edema and impaired circulation of the soft tissue interfere with absorption of medications administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly. Even though it is true intramuscular injections disrupt tissue, medication absorption is not effective. Burn pain is severe and intravenous administration is desired to relieve pain, but this is not the physiological basis for giving medications intravenously. Hypermetabolism affects medication effectiveness but is not the rationale for administering opioids intravenously.
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A) attention. B) language. C) thinking. D) spatial perception.
What is the MOST reliable indicator to use in determining a client's level of pain?
a. increased heart rate and blood pressure from baseline readings b. nonverbal signals such as grimacing or diaphoresis during normal activities c. the client's self-report of pain d. the stage of the client's disease
A dying patient tells the nurse, "Don't let my family leave me." What should the nurse realize this patient is demonstrating?
1. fear of dying alone 2. the anticipation of improving in health 3. the need for the family to see the patient improve 4. the desire to prolong life
The client is being treated with Plavix. He complains to the nurse of experiencing chest pain. The highest priority nursing intervention is to call the physician because the client is experiencing a(n):
a. adverse reaction to the medication. b. myocardial infarction. c. expected side effect of the medication. d. anaphylactic reaction to the medication.