Question

The nurse notes that the left arm of a client who has experienced a brain attack is in a contracted, fixed position. Which complication of this position does the nurse monitor for in this client?

a.Shoulder subluxation
b.Flaccid hemiparesis
c.Pathologic fracture
d.Neglect syndrome

Answer 1

The nurse should monitor for shoulder subluxation in a client whose arm is in a contracted, fixed position following a brain attack; this condition is due to weak or paralyzed muscles leading to the inability to maintain shoulder joint alignment.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse notes that the left arm of a client who has experienced a brain attack is in a contracted, fixed position. The complication that the nurse should monitor for in this client is shoulder subluxation. This condition involves the partial dislocation of the shoulder joint, which can occur when muscles become weak or paralyzed due to a stroke or brain attack, leading to the inability to maintain normal joint alignment. Flaccid hemiparesis is characterized by weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, but it does not specifically lead to a contracted, fixed position as described. A pathologic fracture is a break in a bone weakened by some other disease, which is not directly linked to the contracted arm position seen in the case described. Finally, neglect syndrome refers to a condition where the patient is unaware of objects, or even their own limbs, on one side of the body. While it may be present, it is not the primary complication related to the contracted, fixed position of the arm.