Eight weeks after surgery, a patient without pain still takes oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet) four to six times a day. What phenomenon do you recognize?
a. Addiction
b. Dependence
c. Withdrawal
d. Tolerance
Question 2
You note all of the following changes in the last week in a 72-year-old nursing home patient taking nortriptyline (Pamelor) for chronic pain. For which problem do you immediately notify the prescriber?
a. Heart rate decreased from 80 to 72 beats/min.
b. Respiratory rate decreased from 20 to 16 breaths/min.
c. Weight increased from 128 to 137 lb.
d. Morning blood glucose increased from 86 to 94 mg/dL.
Nurses possess a wide variety of experiences which they take into each patient encounter.
Areas of Referred Pain, Anterior View
Photograph of an occupational therapist assisting a patient with learning independence in activities
Patient with typical rheumatoid arthritis contractures.
16 weeks old human fetus
The Three Components of Pain