An older client is experiencing mouth pain rated 4 on a 10-point pain scale. What action should the nurse take?

Question

1. Medicate the client with a prescribed narcotic analgesic.
2. Carefully inspect the client's mouth, teeth, and tongue.
3. Ask the client if they have ever had mouth pain for any reason.
4. Instruct the client to begin rinsing the mouth with an isotonic solution.

Answer 1

2. Carefully inspect the client's mouth, teeth, and tongue.

Explanation: 1. The nurse should not medicate the client for complaints of mouth pain until the source of the pain can be determined. A narcotic may not be needed for the mouth pain.
2. The first step the nurse should take in response to a client complaining of mouth pain is to carefully conduct a thorough assessment of the oral cavity and visualize any obvious source for the pain.
3. Prior history of mouth pain can be the result of many different issues and does not necessarily have any bearing on the current situation.
4. The nurse may suggest the client rinse the oral cavity with an isotonic solution if applicable, after the client's oral cavity has been thoroughly assessed. This may not address the client's problem since "mouth pain" is a vague symptom.