Final answer:
In cases of appendicitis in the emergency department, a nurse must carefully administer a weight-based dose of morphine to manage a child's abdominal pain, in accordance with hospital protocols and safety guidelines. The answer is not provided among options.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a school age child is in the emergency department with a suspected case of appendicitis and reports significant pain rated at a 7 on a scale of 0-10, the nurse must take appropriate action to manage the pain. However, without specifications about the hospital's protocol or the weight of the child, it becomes challenging to choose the correct dosage from the options provided (A, B, C, D). Typically, a nurse would follow a physician's order for pain medication dosage.
Furthermore, it's important that any medication administration aligns with best practices and dosage guidelines for children. For safety reasons and to avoid medical errors, the nurse should verify the correct dose based on the child's weight and the ordered concentration before administration.
Pain management in pediatric patients must be carried out with scrupulous attention to weight-based dosing and hospital protocols. The nurse should consult the medical orders or a drug reference to determine the appropriate dose of morphine for the child's pain associated with appendicitis.
Morphine dosage for children frequently ranges from 0.05mg/kg to 0.2mg/kg, but exceeding 0.2mg/kg of morphine for a child is typically avoided. Nurses must consider both the patient's reported pain level and safety guidelines when administering analgesia.
Hence, The answer is not provided among options.