An opioid-naive 78-year-old client is prescribed morphine PCA with a continuous basal infusion after hip surge…

Question

An opioid-naive 78-year-old client is prescribed morphine PCA with a continuous basal infusion after hip surgery. Which action should the nurse take before starting the PCA?

Accepted Answer

Option 4: Hold initiation and contact the prescriber to clarify the basal infusion for this high-risk client.

A continuous basal opioid infusion increases respiratory-depression risk in opioid-naive clients, and advanced age adds further risk. The nurse should hold initiation and clarify the prescription, advocating for an individualized plan such as demand-only dosing with multimodal analgesia and appropriate monitoring. Increasing the dose, relying on the lockout, or planning rescue treatment after depression occurs does not address the unsafe initial order.

Answer

Option 1: Increase the demand dose so the client can treat severe pain while the basal infusion continues.

Answer

Option 2: Start the prescription and rely on the lockout interval to prevent respiratory depression.

Answer

Option 3: Start the basal infusion and plan to give naloxone if the respiratory rate later decreases.

An opioid-naive 78-year-old client is prescribed morphine PCA with a continuous basal infusion after hip surgery. Which action should the nurse take before starting the PCA?

In-depth explanation

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An opioid-naive 78-year-old client is prescribed morphine PCA with a continuous basal infusion after hip surgery. Which action should the nurse take before starting the PCA?

In-depth explanation

Master the NCLEX-RN with MyMerci