The nurse is caring for a child who fractured the ulna bone and had a cast applied 24 hours ago. The child tells the nurse that the arm feels like it is falling asleep. Which of the following nursing actions would be most appropriate?
1. Report the findings to the physician.
2. Document the findings, and reassess the situation in 4 hours.
3. Encourage the child to keep the arm elevated for the next 24 hours.
4. Tell the child that this is normal and will disappear when the cast is dry.
1
Rationale: A child's complaint of pins and needles or of the extremity falling asleep needs to be reported to the physician. These complaints indicate the possibility of circulatory impairment and paresthesia. Paresthesia is a serious concern because paralysis can result if the problem is not corrected. The five P's of vascular impairment are pain, pallor, pulselessness, paresthesia, and paralysis. Prompt intervention is critical if neurovascular impairment is to be prevented.
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