The mother of a patient just admitted with a spinal cord injury is asking if the patient will be given steroids. What would be an accurate way for the nurse to explain the role of steroids in treating spinal cord injuries?
1. Steroids will make the patient feel better overall and retain muscle strength due to its "muscle-bulking" effects.
2. Steroids have few side effects and remove all symptoms while healing the problem.
3. Steroids can lead to "road-rage and anger outbursts" and therefore are avoided except under extreme emergencies.
4. Steroids limit spinal cord edema and ischemia if initiated within 3 hours of the trauma and given for 48 hours.
4
Rationale 1: This is not the reason for using steroids in the patient with a spinal cord injury.
Rationale 2: These drugs do have some major side effects such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, redistribution of fat pads, and edema, as well as others that can be life threatening.
Rationale 3: This is not a concern for the patient with a spinal cord injury.
Rationale 4: This is due to the anti-inflammatory effect of steroid therapy and would be the best response for the nurse to make.
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