The parents of a child with a thoracic-level spinal injury are anxious to learn the long-term prognosis for their child and ask if the child will walk again. How should the nurse respond to the parents?
A) "Damage usually progresses after the first week.".
B) "It is most unlikely that your son will ever walk again.".
C) "What has the physician said about your son's recovery?"
D) "It will be several weeks before an answer to your question is possible.".
D
Feedback:
Spinal injuries result when the spinal cord becomes compressed or severed by the vertebrae; further cord damage can result from hemorrhage, edema, or inflammation at the injury site as the blood supply becomes impeded. Predictions of useful body function cannot be made accurately at the time of the injury. Three phases of recovery must first take place. The nurse cannot accurately say that damage will progress after the first week. The nurse has no way of knowing if the child will walk again. The nurse can answer the parent's question without finding out what the physician has said about the child's recovery.
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