An older adult with gastric cancer with bone metastases is being ...

[cmoore54]

An older adult with gastric cancer with bone metastases is being discharged from the hospital after beginning a regimen of opioid analgesics to control the metastatic pain. What should be in-cluded in the discharge teaching plan?
 
  a. The development of a plan to prevent constipation
  b. Benefits of grief counseling
  c. Increasing calories in the diet
  d. Preventing pressure ulcers

Question 2

When educating a client on the use of an adjuvant medication, which statement best demon-strates the nurse's understanding of this therapy?
 
  a. These medications are used instead of opioids to decrease the likelihood of ad-diction.
  b. Adjuvant medications are prescribed be-cause they seldom cause any significant side effects.
  c. These types of medications are used to eliminate the side effects of opioid medi-cations.
  d. These drugs are used in combination with analgesics to increase the effect of the an-algesics.

[yeungji]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
Side effects of opioids are significant to older adults and include constipation. Because constipa-tion is almost universal when opioids are used, the nurse should ensure that an appropriate bowel regimen is taken at the same time as the opioids. The remaining options are not specifically relat-ed to the management of the client's pain or the effects of opioid treatment.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Adjuvant medications are not analgesics but are thought to alter the perception of pain and are used with analgesics to potentiate the effect of the analgesics. Adjuvant medications are used with opioids and may have long half-lives in older adults. The nurse must monitor the patient for adverse effects. Adjuvant medications do not eliminate the side effects of opioids.

[cmoore54]

Correct answers!

[yeungji]

Great! Please up vote