70.9k views
2 votes
A nurse is caring for a client who has a spastic bladder following a spinal cord injury. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to help stimulate micturition?

a. Administer a diuretic.

b. Assist the client to a sitting position.

c. Apply a cold compress to the lower abdomen.

d. Use a straight catheter to empty the bladder.

1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

Assist the client to a sitting position to help with micturition after a spinal cord injury, leveraging gravity and abdominal forces. Intermittent catheterization may also be necessary. Diuretics and cold compresses are not typically used for this purpose.

Step-by-step explanation:

To help stimulate micturition in a client with a spastic bladder following a spinal cord injury, the recommended action is to assist the client to a sitting position. Positioning can facilitate the use of abdominal and gravity forces to aid in bladder emptying. This is consistent with understanding the normal micturition process, which involves a series of coordinated actions by the bladder's stretch receptors, the parasympathetic neural outflow, and the relaxation of urinary sphincters. In cases where spinal cord injury affects these processes, adjustments like positioning can be utilitarian in managing voiding. The use of a straight catheter is another option, known as intermittent catheterization, which is sometimes necessary when normal function is compromised to periodically empty the bladder.

Administering a diuretic or applying a cold compress to the lower abdomen are not standard interventions to facilitate micturition in this context. A diuretic would increase urine production without necessarily aiding in the bladder's ability to contract, while application of a cold compress may not have any beneficial effect and could potentially lead to discomfort.

User Odane
by
8.0k points