A postoperative patient who has undergone extensive bowel surgery moves as little as possible and does not use his incentive spirometer unless specifically reminded.He rates his pain severity as an 8 on a 10-point scale but tells the nurse that he can "tough it out." To encourage the patient to use pain medication,what should the nurse explain about the effects of withholding or delaying analgesics?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should explain to the patient that unrelieved pain can be harmful as it impairs respiratory and gastrointestinal function and can impair his recovery from surgery. This will encourage the patient to use pain medication and thereby improve his recovery. Option A is not relevant to the question at hand. Option B is not accurate, as side effects can vary from patient to patient and may not always decrease over time. Option C is true, but not directly related to the importance of using pain medication.

A Postoperative Patient Who Has Undergone Extensive Bowel Surgery Moves