Question

You are frequently assessing an 84-year-old woman's pain after she suffered a humeral fracture in a fall. When applying the nursing process in pain management for a patient of this age, what principle should you best apply?

a) Monitor for signs of drug toxicity due to a decrease in metabolism.
b) Monitor for an increase in absorption of the drug due to age-related changes.
c) Monitor for a paradoxical increase in pain with opioid administration.
d) Administer analgesics every 4 to 6 hours as ordered to control pain.

Answer 1

The best principle to apply when managing pain in an 84-year-old woman with a humeral fracture is to monitor for a paradoxical increase in pain with opioid administration.

Step-by-step explanation:

When applying the nursing process in pain management for an 84-year-old woman with a humeral fracture, the best principle to apply is to monitor for a paradoxical increase in pain with opioid administration. As people age, they may experience altered responses to opioids, including an increased sensitivity to these medications. This can result in a paradoxical increase in pain rather than pain relief.