Fundamentals of Nursing
A 46-year-old patient is admitted in the female Medical Ward for severe back pain, which is graded 6 on the…
A 46-year-old patient is admitted in the female Medical Ward for severe back pain, which is graded 6 on the scale of 10. Her vital signs are taken with a slight elevation in her blood pressure. The patient has refused to eat lunch which is a low sodium diet. The attending nurse has documented that the patient is uncooperative and has refused to eat the lunch. What nursing intervention needs attention first?
Explanation
Core Concept: Pain is a subjective experience that triggers physiological stress responses (e.g., elevated blood pressure, tachycardia) and behavioral changes (e.g., irritability, refusal to eat). According to Maslow's hierarchy and nursing priorities, acute physiological discomfort must be addressed first.
Clinical Presentation:
- Severe back pain (6/10), elevated BP, anorexia, irritability.
Diagnosis:
- *First-line:* Comprehensive pain assessment (PQRST method).
- *Gold Standard:* Imaging (MRI/X-ray) if a specific musculoskeletal or neurological pathology is suspected.
Management:
- *Acute:* *Take appropriate measures to relieve pain* first. Alleviating the pain will likely resolve the secondary symptoms (elevated BP, uncooperativeness, refusal to eat).
- *Definitive:* Once pain is controlled, educate the patient on the low-sodium diet and investigate the root cause of the back pain.