A patient with Buck's traction complains of increased pain after the traction is applied and pain medication is given.After loosening the traction slightly,the nurse assesses the extremity and can find nothing wrong,although the patient is still complaining of pain at a level of 4 on a scale of 0 to 10.What action should the nurse initiate next?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Once pain medication is given and the traction is loosened,the healthcare provider must be notified because of the chance of a neurovascular deficit.Administering additional pain medication is inappropriate since it may mask the problem.The need for an x-ray film is up to the healthcare provider to explore with the patient; speculating is inappropriate.If the patient is still experiencing pain,the healthcare provider needs to be called,regardless of the description of the pain.

A Patient with Buck's Traction Complains of Increased Pain After