Question

L.D. is a 27-year-old man who has no chronic health problems. He prides himself on keeping fit and enjoys "living on the edge". Last weekend he was thrown from his motorcycle when it spun out on a wet patch of pavement. In the emergency department, he was diagnosed with fractures of the left tibia and ribs. He reported being in pain and having difficulty breathing. He was discharged with a full leg cast and medication for pain to be taken every 4 hours as needed. He was told not to bear any weight on his affected leg and was shown how to walk with crutches.

1. How will L.D's broken ribs affect his respiration and what potential problems may occur if L.D does not follow instructions to breathe deeply and cough ?

2. How does the pain medication affect his ability to deep breathe and move ?

3. How ill L.D's lifestyle, health habits, and age affect healing of the damage tissues ?

Answer 1

1. L.D's broken ribs can affect his respiration by making it painful to take deep breaths. If L.D does not follow instructions to breathe deeply and cough, he may develop pneumonia or other respiratory complications.

2. Pain medication can affect L.D's ability to deep breathe and move by causing drowsiness and making it difficult to concentrate. This can make it harder for L.D to remember to take deep breaths and to move around, which can slow down his recovery.

3. L.D's lifestyle, health habits, and age can affect the healing of damaged tissues. If L.D is physically fit and maintains a healthy lifestyle, he may recover more quickly. However, if he engages in risky behaviors or has poor health habits, such as smoking, he may have a slower recovery and be at increased risk for complications. Additionally, his age may affect the speed of his recovery, as younger people may heal more quickly than older people.