Question

The nurse is caring for a client with a history of chronic unrelieved pain related to leukemia. Which intervention of last resort might be considered for this client?

1) Nerve block
2) Muscle-relaxation techniques
3) Oral analgesics
4) Guided imagery

Answer 1

A nerve block is a potential intervention of last resort for chronic unrelieved pain related to leukemia, as it provides long-term relief by interrupting pain signals when other treatments have failed.

Step-by-step explanation:

For a client with a history of chronic unrelieved pain related to leukemia, an intervention of last resort might be considered after more conservative measures have failed. One option that stands out is a nerve block, which is a procedure that interrupts the pain signals traveling through a specific nerve or group of nerves. Nerve blocks can provide long-term pain relief, particularly when pain is severe and other treatments such as oral analgesics or non-pharmacological therapies like muscle-relaxation techniques and guided imagery have not been effective. Chronic pain, especially associated with conditions like leukemia, can be complex and may require more invasive procedures when standard pain management strategies do not alleviate the discomfort.