The Nervous System Drugs for Pain Management Flashcards
The nurse is reviewing documentation for a patient with severe low back pain.
Which statement should the nurse question?
a) “Experiencing chronic pain for the last few days.”
b) “Experiencing chronic pain that is interfering with the ability to perform activities of daily living.”
c) “Has had acute low back pain for the last 2 weeks.”
d) “Reports acute pain that is improving after routine use of over-the-counter analgesics.”
a) “Experiencing chronic pain for the last few days.”
The nurse is asked to explain the cause of pain.
Which response should the nurse make?
a) “Pain is caused by some imbalance in the body.”
b) “There is no real explanation for the development of pain.”
c) “Pain occurs when free nerve endings are stimulated.”
d) “Pain is an overused term that may be used to describe any feeling that is not normal.”
c) “Pain occurs when free nerve endings are stimulated.”
A patient with pain lasting 8 months informs the nurse that narcotic analgesics are no longer helping.
Which classification of pain should the nurse document for this patient?
a) Moderate
b) Chronic
c) Acute
d) Severe
b) Chronic
A patient is prescribed aspirin for arthritic pain.
Which should the nurse instruct the patient when taking this medication?
a) “It can be safely taken with garlic.”
b) “There are no major adverse effects of this medication.”
c) “Bruising is expected when taking this medication.”
d) “Do not take with alcohol.”
d) “Do not take with alcohol.”
The nurse notes tight neck muscles in a patient with a moderate headache.
Which health problem should the nurse suspect?
a) Tension headache
b) Migraine headache
c) Slipped cervical disk
d) Anxiety
a) Tension headache
A patient who is pregnant was given a dose of morphine for a surgical procedure.
Which response should the nurse provide when the patient asks if the medication will affect the baby?
a) “Your baby will be born with signs of withdrawal.”
b) “Morphine will have no effect on your baby if you are breastfeeding.”
c) “It is unlikely because you are not taking the medication daily.”
d) “There is no way of knowing if the morphine will affect your baby.”
c) “It is unlikely because you are not taking the medication daily.”
A patient who is laughing with visitors requests pain medication for severe postsurgical pain.
Which action should the nurse take?
a) Refuse to administer the pain medication.
b) Administer the pain medication as prescribed.
c) Administer 325 mg of acetaminophen.
d) Give the patient a back massage.
b) Administer the pain medication as prescribed.
A patient is given oral sumatriptan (Imitrex).
After which amount of time should the nurse assess the effectiveness of this medication?
a) 30 minutes
b) 15 minutes
c) 45 minutes
d) 120 minutes
d) 120 minutes
A patient reports severe itching after receiving several doses of morphine.
Which action should the nurse take?
a) Report the finding.
b) Document the finding.
c) Withhold the next dose of pain medication until the itching has passed.
d) Discontinue the use of the medication completely.
a) Report the finding.
The nurse is teaching a patient about a medication prescribed for migraine headaches.
Which statement should indicate that the teaching was effective?
a) “I will take the medication once the migraine headache becomes too painful to handle.”
b) “I will take the medication every 30 minutes until the pain starts to go away.”
c) “I will take the medication as soon as I notice a migraine headache starting.”
d) “I will use one spray of the intranasal spray in both nostrils.”
c) “I will take the medication as soon as I notice a migraine headache starting.”
A patient experiencing pain is prescribed a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
In which way should the nurse expect this patient’s pain to be managed?
a) Central nervous system
b) Nocioceptor level
c) Release of substance P
d) Inhibition of endorphins
b) Nocioceptor level
A patient requests medication for pain.
Which action should the nurse take before administering this medication?
a) Ask visitors to leave so the patient can rest.
b) Check the medical record for a history of addiction.
c) Implement nonpharmacologic pain relief measures.
d) Assess for intensity, character, and location of the pain.
d) Assess for intensity, character, and location of the pain.
The nurse is monitoring patients receiving opioid therapy for pain relief.
For which patient should the nurse administer an opioid antagonist?
a) A patient with a respiratory rate of 7 breaths/min
b) A patient with a pulse of 68 beats/min
c) A patient with a blood pressure of 126/84 mmHg
d) A patient with an oxygen saturation of 96%
a) A patient with a respiratory rate of 7 breaths/min
A patient with severe pain is prescribed morphine.
Which supplement should the nurse instruct the patient to avoid taking with this medication?
a) Melatonin
b) Vitamin D
c) Valerian
d) Garlic
c) Valerian
A patient recovering from surgery reports an allergy to acetaminophen.
Which pain medication combination should the nurse expect to administer?
a) Oxycet
b) Percodan
c) Percocet
d) Fioricet
b) Percodan
