Question

A young woman who has sickle cell disease comes to the emergency department with severe joint and back pain, a cough, a temperature of 102.2° F (39° C), and shortness of breath. She appears anxious and states, “I have never felt this way before.” The primary health care provider prescribes 3 mg of morphine IV and a stat chest x-ray.

1. What additional assessment data are most important to obtain? Provide a rationale for your selection.

2. Should you be concerned about the morphine causing respiratory depression? Why or why not?

3. Should oxygen be started even though it has not yet been prescribed? Why or why not?

4. What can you do to reduce her anxiety?

Answer 1

1,We should assess her respiratory rate and oxygen saturation because she have short breath and cough,pain scale to assess the intensity of the pain, heamoglobin level because of anemia.

2,The narcotic analgesics causes some side effects like nausea,vomiting,and respiratory distress.commonly in medical conditions will take precautions to avoid and manage such side effects

3,To avoid respiratory distress we can start oxygen up to 4ltr rate, the patient also have short breath so the oxygen administration is important.

4,To reduce her anxiety,

• Dont allow relatives in her room
• Give psychological support
• Provide calm enviornment
• Morphine is a effective analgesic so the pain will subside it will reduces anxity in some extent.