Question

What action should the nurse take to prevent precipitating a painful attack in a client with tic douloureux?

Answer 1

Answer:

The nurse should avoid any attitude that causes drafts near the patient. The slightest draft can cause a lot of pain.

Explanation:

Tic douloureux is characterized by short-term excruciating paroxysmal pain, facial flushing, watery eyes and rhinorrhea. The condition may affect either the second or third division of the fifth cranial nerve, or both. The first division is rarely affected. The intervals between paroxysms range from weeks to one year. With each attack the seizures become more frequent and more serious. Many cases have pain or trigger zones on the face or mucous membranes, whose stimulation triggers the attacks.

Patients with this condition usually experience severe pain when hit by drafts, even if they are very mild drafts. For this reason, the nurse should be careful not to cause air currents when facing the patient.

Answer 2

The nurse is assessing the motor function of an unconscious client. The nurse should plan to use which technique to test the client's peripheral response to pain? 
1. Sternal rub 
2. Nail bed pressure 
3. Pressure on the orbital rim 
4. Squeezing of the sternocleidomastoid muscle2.Nail bed pressureThe nurse is caring for the client with increased intracranial pressure. The nurse would note which trend in vital signs if the intracranial pressure is rising? 
1. Increasing temperature, increasing pulse, increasing respirations, decreasing blood pressure 
2. Increasing temperature, decreasing pulse, decreasing respirations, increasing blood pressure 
3. Decreasing temperature, decreasing pulse, increasing respirations, decreasing blood pressure 
4. Decreasing temperature, increasing pulse, decreasing respirations, increasing blood pressure