For which opioid pain drug order should you contact and question the prescriber?
a. Adult male, hydromorphone (Dilaudid) 4 mg orally every 4 hours
b. Older adult, meperidine (Demerol) 50 mg IM every 3 hours
c. Child, codeine 0.5 mg/kg orally every 6 hours
d. Adult women, hydrocodone with acetaminophen (Vicodin) 5 mg orally every 6 hours
Question 2
The patient who received a first dose of an opioid drug is not arousable and has an oxygen saturation of 88 (five percentage points lower than his or her normal saturation) even when fully awake. What is your best next action?
a. Wait 2 minutes and recheck respiratory rate and oxygen saturation.
b. Shake the patient firmly and keep trying to arouse him or her.
c. Notify respiratory therapy to draw an arterial blood gas.
d. Call for help and apply supplemental oxygen.