Question 1

A nurse plans care for a client who is recovering from a below-the-knee amputation of the left leg.Which intervention should the nurse include in this client's plan of care?

Accepted Answer

Clients with a below-the-knee amputation should complete range-of-motion exercises to prevent flexion contractions and prepare for a prosthesis.A pillow may be used under the limb as support.Clients recovering from this type of amputation are at low risk for infection and should not be prescribed prophylactic antibiotics.The client should be encouraged to re-position,move,and exercise frequently,and therefore should not be restricted to bedrest.

Question 2

A trauma nurse cares for several clients with fractures.Which client should the nurse identify as at highest risk for developing deep vein thrombosis?

Accepted Answer

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)as a complication with bone fractures occurs more often when fractures are sustained in the lower extremities and the client has additional risk factors for thrombus formation.Other risk factors include obesity,smoking,oral contraceptives,previous thrombus events,advanced age,venous stasis,and heart disease.The other clients do not have risk factors for DVT.

Question 3

A nurse assesses a client with a rotator cuff injury.Which finding should the nurse expect to assess?

Accepted Answer

Clients with a rotator cuff tear are unable to initiate or maintain abduction of the affected arm at the shoulder.This is known as the drop arm test.The client should not have difficulty with adduction of the arm,nor experience referred pain to the opposite shoulder.Pain is usually more intense at night and with overhead activities.

Question 4

A nurse cares for a client who had a wrist cast applied 3 days ago.The client states,"The cast is loose enough to slide off." How should the nurse respond?

Accepted Answer

Often the surrounding soft tissues may be swollen considerably when the cast is initially applied.After the swelling has resolved,if the cast is loose enough to permit two or more fingers between the cast and the client's skin,the cast needs to be replaced.Elevating the arm will not solve the problem,and the client's muscles should not atrophy while in a cast for 6 weeks or less.An elastic bandage will not prevent slippage of the cast.

Question 5

A nurse reviews prescriptions for an 82-year-old client with a fractured left hip.Which prescription should alert the nurse to contact the provider and express concerns for client safety?

Accepted Answer

Meperidine (Demerol)should not be used for older adults because it has toxic metabolites that can cause seizures.The nurse should question this prescription.The other prescriptions are appropriate for this client's pain management.

Question 6

An emergency department nurse triages a client with diabetes mellitus who has fractured her arm.Which action should the nurse take first?

Accepted Answer

A client's medical alert bracelet should be removed from the fractured arm before the affected extremity swells.Immobilization,positioning,and dressing should occur after the bracelet is removed.

Question 7

A nurse notes crepitation when performing range-of-motion exercises on a client with a fractured left humerus.Which action should the nurse take next?

Accepted Answer

A grating sound heard when the affected part is moved is known as crepitation.This sound is created by bone fragments.Because bone fragments may be present,the nurse should immobilize the client's arm and tell the client not to move the arm.The grating sound does not indicate circulation impairment or infection.Steroids would not be indicated.

Question 8

An emergency department nurse cares for a client who sustained a crush injury to the right lower leg.The client reports numbness and tingling in the affected leg.Which action should the nurse take first?

Accepted Answer

These symptoms represent early warning signs of acute compartment syndrome.In acute compartment syndrome,sensory deficits such as paresthesias precede changes in vascular or motor signs.If the nurse finds a decrease in pedal pulses,the health care provider should be notified as soon as possible.Vital signs need to be obtained to determine if oxygen and intravenous fluids are necessary.Traction,if implemented,should never be loosened without a provider's prescription.

Question 9

A nurse cares for a client placed in skeletal traction.The client asks,"What is the primary purpose of this type of traction?" How should the nurse respond?

Accepted Answer

Skeletal traction pins or screws are surgically inserted into the bone to aid in bone alignment.As a last resort,traction can be used to relieve pain,decrease muscle spasm,and prevent or correct deformity and tissue damage.These are not primary purposes of skeletal traction.

Question 10

A nurse assesses a client with a pelvic fracture.Which assessment finding should the nurse identify as a complication of this injury?

Accepted Answer

The pelvis is very vascular and close to major organs.Injury to the pelvis can cause integral damage that may manifest as blood in the urine (hematuria)or stool.The nurse should also assess for signs of hemorrhage and hypovolemic shock,which include hypotension and tachycardia.Constipation and infection are not complications of a pelvic fracture.

Question 11

A nurse obtains the health history of a client with a fractured femur.Which factor identified in the client's history should the nurse recognize as an aspect that may impede healing of the fracture?

Accepted Answer

Paget's disease and bone cancer can cause pathologic fractures such as a fractured femur that do not achieve total healing.The other factors do not impede healing but may cause other health risks.

Question 12

A nurse delegates care of a client in traction to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP).Which statement should the nurse include when delegating hygiene care for this client?

Accepted Answer

Traction weights should be freely hanging at all times.They should not be lifted manually or allowed to rest on the floor.The client should remain in traction during hygiene activities.The nurse should assess the client's skin and provide pin and wound care for a client who is in traction; this should not be delegated to the UAP.

Question 13

A nurse cares for a client with a fractured fibula.Which assessment should alert the nurse to take immediate action?

Accepted Answer

The client with numbness and/or tingling of the extremity may be displaying the first signs of acute compartment syndrome.This is an acute problem that requires immediate intervention because of possible decreased circulation.Moderate pain and swelling is an expected assessment after a fracture.These findings can be treated with comfort measures.Being cold can be treated with additional blankets or by increasing the temperature of the room.

Question 14

A nurse assesses a client with a fracture who is being treated with skeletal traction.Which assessment should alert the nurse to urgently contact the health provider?

Accepted Answer

The immediate action of the nurse should be to reapply the weights to give traction to the fracture.The health care provider must be notified that the weights were lying on the floor,and the client should be realigned in bed.The client's blood pressure is slightly elevated; this could be related to pain and muscle spasms resulting from lack of pressure to reduce the fracture.Oozing of clear fluid is normal,as is the capillary refill time.

Question 15

A nurse assesses an older adult client who was admitted 2 days ago with a fractured hip.The nurse notes that the client is confused and restless.The client's vital signs are heart rate 98 beats/min,respiratory rate 32 breaths/min,blood pressure 132/78 mm Hg,and SpO₂ 88%.Which action should the nurse take first?

Accepted Answer

The client is at high risk for a fat embolism and has some of the clinical manifestations of altered mental status and dyspnea.Although this is a life-threatening emergency,the nurse should take the time to administer oxygen first and then notify the health care provider.Oxygen administration can reduce the risk for cerebral damage from hypoxia.The nurse would not restrain a client who is confused without further assessment and orders.Sitting the client in a high-Fowler's position will not decrease hypoxia related to a fat embolism.The IV rate is not related.Pain medication most likely would not cause the client to be restless.

Question 16

A nurse coordinates care for a client with a wet plaster cast.Which statement should the nurse include when delegating care for this client to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

Accepted Answer

When delegating care to a UAP for a client with a wet plaster cast,the UAP should be directed to ensure that the extremity is elevated on a cloth pillow instead of a plastic pillow to promote drying.The client should be assessed for impaired arterial circulation,a complication of compartment syndrome; however,the nurse should not delegate assessments to a UAP.The client should be turned every 1 to 2 hours to allow air to circulate and dry all parts of the cast.Providers should handle the cast with the palms of the hands to prevent indentations.

Question 17

A nurse is caring for a client who is recovering from an above-the-knee amputation.The client reports pain in the limb that was removed.How should the nurse respond?

Accepted Answer

The nurse should ask the client to rate the pain on a scale of 0 to 10 and describe how the pain feels.Although phantom limb pain is common,the nurse should not minimize the pain that the client is experiencing by stating that it does not exist or will eventually go away.Antiepileptic drugs and antispasmodics are used to treat neurologic pain and muscle spasms after amputation.Although imagery may assist the client,the nurse must assess the client's pain before determining the best action.

Question 18

A home health nurse assesses a client with diabetes who has a new cast on the arm.The nurse notes the client's fingers are pale,cool,and slightly swollen.Which action should the nurse take first?

Accepted Answer

Arm casts can impair circulation when the arm is in the dependent position.The nurse should immediately elevate the arm above the level of the heart,ensuring that the hand is above the elbow,and should re-assess the extremity in 15 minutes.If the fingers are warmer and less swollen,the cast is not too tight and adjustments do not need to be made,but a sling should be worn when the client is upright.Encouraging range of motion would not assist the client as much as elevating the arm.Heat would cause increased edema and should not be used.If the cast is confirmed to be too tight,it could be bivalved.

Question 19

A nurse cares for a client recovering from an above-the-knee amputation of the right leg.The client reports pain in the right foot.Which prescribed medication should the nurse administer first?

Accepted Answer

The client is experiencing phantom limb pain,which usually manifests as intense burning,crushing,or cramping.IV infusions of calcitonin during the week after amputation can reduce phantom limb pain.Opioid analgesics such as morphine are not as effective for phantom limb pain as they are for residual limb pain.Oral acetaminophen and ibuprofen are not used in treating phantom limb pain.

Question 20

A nurse cares for a client in skeletal traction.The nurse notes that the skin around the client's pin sites is swollen,red,and crusty with dried drainage.Which action should the nurse take next?

Accepted Answer

These clinical manifestations indicate inflammation and possible infection.Infected pin sites can lead to osteomyelitis and should be treated immediately.The nurse should obtain a culture and assess vital signs.The provider should be notified.By decreasing the traction weight,applying a new dressing,or cleansing the area,the infection cannot be significantly treated.

Quiz 51: Care of Patients with Musculoskeletal Trauma