Question

A patient is in the first postoperative day following a nephrectomy. The patient is receiving morphine through a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device for management of pain. The nurse decides to use the ABCDE approach while assessing and managing pain for this patient. What are the correct components of the ABCDE approach? Select all that apply.

1. A: Ask regularly about the pain.
2. A: Assess the pain once a week.
3. B: Believe the patient about the pain.
4. C: Choose pain control options appropriate to the patient.
5. D: Deny the use of painkillers and encourage the patient to bear the pain naturally.

Answer 1

The ABCDE approach for managing pain in a postoperative patient includes steps A: Ask regularly about the pain, B: Believe the patient, and C: Choose appropriate pain control options.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct components of the ABCDE approach for assessing and managing pain in a postoperative patient receiving morphine through a PCA (patient-controlled analgesia) device include:

• A: Ask regularly about the pain. This step involves active and regular inquiry about the patient's pain levels, rather than waiting for the patient to report pain spontaneously.
• B: Believe the patient about the pain. The healthcare provider should trust the patient's report of pain and respond accordingly, recognizing that pain is a subjective experience.
• C: Choose pain control options appropriate to the patient. This requires selecting the most suitable pain management strategies based on the individual needs and condition of the patient.

Options such as assessing the pain only once a week and denying the use of painkillers are not part of the ABCDE approach, which strives to provide effective and empathetic pain management.