Introduction
Barbara Firth is an active 83 year old woman who lives alone and has a history of good health. She has never had any serious medical conditions, and visits a primary care provider for mild hypertension and frequent urinary tract infections for which she receives urinalysis and blood pressure monitoring. One day while working in the garden, Mrs. Firth fell and sustained a fractured right neck of femur. She is now awaiting surgery in the operating theatre where she will undergo a reduction and internal fixation with a Tompson Prothesis. Since arriving at the hospital she has recurrently declined pain medication, and is in too much pain to change positions in bed. Despite the nurse’s efforts and advice, Mrs. Firth refuses to take any pain medications for fear of addiction. If Mrs. Firth’s pain cannot be lessened, she may suffer medical complications due to her inability to sit up in bed. Pain is often defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or it can be described in terms of the harm done, but it should always be recorded as whatever the patient describes it as (IASP, 1992).
Assessment
Mrs. Firth appears to be in a lot of pain and is unable to change …show more content…
A numerical pain rating scale should also be implemented to track Mrs. Firth’s pain. One such scale may be the 0-10 scale where 0 is no pain, and 10 is the worst pain (Farrar, 2001). Once patient compliance has been achieved, the pain management plan should begin and medication administered. Continuity of pain management should be via the pain score and Mrs. Firth’s ability to articulate her newfound knowledge of pain
Barbara Firth is an active 83 year old woman who lives alone and has a history of good health. She has never had any serious medical conditions, and visits a primary care provider for mild hypertension and frequent urinary tract infections for which she receives urinalysis and blood pressure monitoring. One day while working in the garden, Mrs. Firth fell and sustained a fractured right neck of femur. She is now awaiting surgery in the operating theatre where she will undergo a reduction and internal fixation with a Tompson Prothesis. Since arriving at the hospital she has recurrently declined pain medication, and is in too much pain to change positions in bed. Despite the nurse’s efforts and advice, Mrs. Firth refuses to take any pain medications for fear of addiction. If Mrs. Firth’s pain cannot be lessened, she may suffer medical complications due to her inability to sit up in bed. Pain is often defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or it can be described in terms of the harm done, but it should always be recorded as whatever the patient describes it as (IASP, 1992).
Assessment
Mrs. Firth appears to be in a lot of pain and is unable to change …show more content…
A numerical pain rating scale should also be implemented to track Mrs. Firth’s pain. One such scale may be the 0-10 scale where 0 is no pain, and 10 is the worst pain (Farrar, 2001). Once patient compliance has been achieved, the pain management plan should begin and medication administered. Continuity of pain management should be via the pain score and Mrs. Firth’s ability to articulate her newfound knowledge of pain