Question

. A patient is ready for discharge home from a lengthy hospital stay after a motor vehicle accident. The patient suffered multiple fractures and required large doses of morphine for several weeks. The nurse preparing the patient for discharge notes that the patient requests the maximum dose of the oral opioid analgesic at the exact intervals it is prescribed. The nurse is correct to suspect that what has occurred?

a. Addiction
b. Compulsive drug seeking
c. Cross-tolerance
d. Drug tolerance

Answer 1

The nurse suspects drug tolerance option (d), as the patient requires the prescribed maximum dose of opioids at precise intervals, indicating the need for higher doses to achieve the same pain relief, a common adaptation to long-term opioid use.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse preparing the patient for discharge after a lengthy hospital stay and significant morphine use is correct to suspect that drug tolerance option (d) has occurred. This situation is one where the patient requires the maximum dose of opioids at the exact prescribed intervals, indicating a need for larger amounts of the substance to achieve the same level of pain relief. The long-term administration of opioids can lead to an adaptation by the body, requiring higher doses to attain the desired analgesic effect. This patient does not necessarily exhibit behaviors characteristic of addiction, such as compulsive drug-seeking, nor is there any mention of cross-tolerance to other drugs, which is when tolerance to one drug reduces the efficacy of another. Drug tolerance, therefore, is the most appropriate answer in this context.