A nurse is providing discharge teaching for a patient with a fractured humerus.The patient is going home with hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen (Vicodin) .What important patient education does the nurse provide?

A) "Be sure to eat a meal high in fat before taking the medication,to avoid a stomach ulcer."
B) "Narcotics can be addictive,so do not take them unless you are in severe pain."
C) "You need to drink plenty of fluids and eat a diet high in fibre."
D) "As your pain severity lessens,you will begin to give yourself once-daily intramuscular injections."

Question

Evelyn Sorto · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : C, Explanation :  A common side effect of opioid analgesics is constipation.Therefore,the nurse encourages the patient to drink fluids and eat fibre to prevent constipation.Although medications can be irritating to the stomach,a diet high in fat does not prevent gastric ulcers.To best manage pain,the patient needs to take pain medication before painful procedures or activities or before pain becomes severe.As the patient's pain gets better,the strength of the medications will decrease.Intramuscular,IV,and topical analgesics are used for more severe and chronic pain.

Definitions

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Related questions