Exam 28: Opioid Analgesics, Opioid Antagonists, and Nonopioid Centrally Acting Analgesics

A nurse is administering morphine sulfate to a postoperative patient. Which are appropriate routine nursing actions when giving this drug? (Select all that apply.)

A patient who has developed opioid tolerance will experience which effect?

A woman in labor receives meperidine [Demerol] for pain. The nurse caring for the infant will observe the infant closely for:

A patient asks the nurse what can be given to alleviate severe,chronic pain of several months' duration. The patient has been taking oxycodone [OxyContin] and states that it is no longer effective. The nurse will suggest discussing which medication with the provider?

A patient with cancer has been taking an opioid analgesic four times daily for several months and reports needing increased doses for pain. What will the nurse tell the patient?

A patient is brought to the emergency department by friends,who report finding the patient difficult to awaken. The friends report removing two fentanyl transdermal patches from the patient's arm. On admission to the emergency department,the patient has pinpoint pupils and a respiratory rate of 6 breaths per minute. A few minutes after administration of naloxone,the respiratory rate is 8 breaths per minute and the patient's pupils are dilated. The nurse recognizes these symptoms as signs of:

A patient with moderate to severe chronic pain has been taking oxycodone [OxyContin] 60 mg every 6 hours PRN for several months and tells the nurse that the medication is not as effective as before. The patient asks if something stronger can be taken. The nurse will contact the provider to discuss:

A patient will receive buprenorphine [Butrans] as a transdermal patch for pain. What is important to teach this patient about the use of this drug?

A patient who has biliary colic reports a pain level of 8 on a 1 to 10 pain scale with 10 being the most severe pain. The patient has an order for ibuprofen as needed for pain. Which action by the nurse is correct?

Which side effects of opioid analgesics can have therapeutic benefits? (Select all that apply.)

A patient with chronic pain has been receiving morphine sulfate but now has decreased pain. The prescriber changes the medication to pentazocine [Talwin]. The nurse will monitor the patient for:

A patient who has had abdominal surgery has been receiving morphine sulfate via a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)pump. The nurse assesses the patient and notes that the patient's pupils are dilated and that the patient is drowsy and lethargic. The patient's heart rate is 84 beats per minute,the respiratory rate is 10 breaths per minute,and the blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg. What will the nurse do?

A patient has been taking methadone [Dolophine] for 5 months to overcome an opioid addiction. The nurse should monitor the patient for which of the following electrocardiographic changes?

A nurse is preparing a pediatric patient for surgery and is teaching the patient and the child's parents about the use of the patient-controlled analgesia pump. The parents voice concern about their child receiving an overdose of morphine. What will the nurse do?