Question

A client who has terminal cancer reports pain as 5 on a scale of 0 to 10. The client has a prescription for morphine 15 mg orally every 4 hr. The client's adult children express concern that the client is receiving too much of the medication. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

a."Clients who receive this medication orally have a lower risk for addiction."
b."Additional doses will not be needed because this medication is given on a fixed schedule."
c."The dose should remain constant to prevent breakthrough pain."
d."We can switch from oral administration to rectal administration."

Answer 1

The correct response is that the morphine dose should remain constant to prevent breakthrough pain in a terminal cancer patient. Effective pain management is a priority in palliative care.

Step-by-step explanation:

The appropriate response to the student's question concerning the client with terminal cancer reporting pain as 5 on a scale of 0 to 10 and having a prescription for morphine 15 mg orally every 4 hours is: c."The dose should remain constant to prevent breakthrough pain." Morphine is an analgesic commonly used in pain management for severe pain, and maintaining a constant dosing schedule is crucial to prevent the recurrence of pain before the next dose is due, which is known as breakthrough pain. It is important to manage pain effectively in terminal cancer patients to provide them with the best possible quality of life.

While there are concerns about addiction, when it comes to terminal cancer patients, the primary focus is on palliative care and managing pain effectively rather than the potential for addiction. Opioid addiction can be a concern; however, in the setting of terminal illness, preserving comfort takes precedence. Additionally, oral administration of morphine is the standard route and switching to rectal administration does not address the children's concern about the quantity of medication.