Which approach should the nurse use when considering pain management of an older patient recovering from injuries from a motor vehicle crash?
A) Try non-opioids and adjuvant drugs before providing opioid analgesia.
B) Implement opioids if complementary therapies have proven to be ineffective.
C) Begin with a moderate dose of opioid analgesia and taper down to the lowest effective dose.
D) Restrict analgesia options to NSAIDs and adjuvant medications due to the risk of unwanted effects.
A
Feedback:
Due to the risk of side effects in older adults, it is best to try non-opioids and adjuvant drugs prior to using opioids. It would be inappropriate to withhold analgesia entirely or until complementary therapies have been proven ineffective, and beginning with a high dose and tapering down is the opposite or the correct approach.
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