The nurse working in the Emergency Department assists with the care of a 12-year-old diagnosed with appendicitis. The parents ask the nurse why something isn't being done to reduce the child's pain. The nurse's best response informs them that:
1. The child will not obtain pain relief until the appendix is removed.
2. Analgesics cannot be given prior to surgery, to prevent toxicity.
3. Appendicitis is not very painful, so powerful narcotics are not needed.
4. Eliminating pain prevents monitoring for rupture of the appendix.
4
Rationale: The client with acute appendicitis is at risk for rupture, manifested by sudden disappearance of pain. Administration of strong analgesics that eliminate pain removes the ability to monitor the client for rupture, so usually only mild over-the-counter pain medications are administered.
You might also like to view...
When conducting a nursing assessment of the vascular system, the nurse is alert for the presence of Virchow's triad, which includes pooling of blood, a coagulation problem, and:
a. edema c. hypertension b. shortness of breath d. vessel trauma
When a valve in the heart does not close completely and the blood leaks back into the chamber from which it was pumped, this is called:
a. retrograde flow c. valvular incompe-tency b. reverse valvular flow d. regurgitation
Interventions to help family members who are extremely upset include
a. encouraging the family to visit as much as possible. b. conveying what the patient is experiencing to the family. c. supporting the family members away from the bedside. d. assuring the family that the staff will take care of the technical aspects of the patient's care.
A Hispanic patient says, "I have no energy and cannot eat
I want to sleep but can't, because pain moves around different parts of my body." A physical examination reveals no pathology. The nurse should hypothesize that the patient may be experiencing: a. lost soul (susto). b. spiritual distress. c. a broken heart. d. amok.