In: Nursing
Mrs. Brown is a 61 year old lady who lives at home with her husband. She has a history of hypertension that is controlled with medication. Mrs. Brown was walking through her home and tripped on the corner of one of her area rugs resulting in a fall with complaints of right hip pain. Her husband called an ambulance and Mrs. Brown was transferred to hospital. In the emergency department she was diagnosed with a minor pelvis fracture. She was admitted to the orthopedic floor for pain management, physiotherapy and monitoring.
Mrs. Brown is complaining about extensive pain, outline the pain assessment that you will perform with Mrs. Brown including the assessment tool that you will use. Research pelvic fractures and outline pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to assist with her pain.
Outline the health teaching that you will provide to Mrs. Brown before discharge to prevent falls within the home. It is important to note that she will most likely need the assistance of a mobility device
Mrs. Brown requires assistance when she goes home and you decide that she needs a home care referral. Outline the care and multi-disciplinary team that would be of assistance to Mrs. Brown in her home.
Assessment of pain can be done with visual analogue sale, which is widely used. The pain management should be according to heirarchy of pain. In this first we use non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID) then upto opioid analgesic like morphine.
Physiotherapist opinion for better rehabilitation should be given. All the possible exercise that can help the patient to releive pain and stiffness should be advocated. On discharge, the patient as well as the care givers should be educated regarding how to prevent fall in the future and what measures can be taken for that.