The nurse is caring for a client who reports running out of aspirin 1 week ago and taking ibuprofen as a replacement. Which information should the nurse obtain from the client first?

• Capillary refill: This is a quick and simple way to assess the adequacy of peripheral perfusion and can help identify signs of dehydration.
• Skin turgor: Assessing the skin turgor, or the elasticity of the skin, is another useful indicator of dehydration.
• Heart rate: Tachycardia can be a sign of dehydration, so monitoring the heart rate is an important component of the assessment.
• Blood pressure: Blood pressure can be affected by dehydration, so monitoring it is important in determining the severity of dehydration and in guiding appropriate interventions.
• Temperature: Fever is a potential cause of dehydration, so monitoring the temperature is an important part of the assessment.
• Skin color of hands and feet: Checking the color of the skin on the hands and feet can help identify signs of poor perfusion and dehydration.

Assessing the level of consciousness, pupil size and reactiveness, and respiratory rate are important aspects of the neurological and respiratory assessments but are not specific to the assessment of dehydration.

The correct answer is Choice D

Choice A rationale: Splinting with a pillow may reduce discomfort during movement or coughing by stabilizing the incision site, but it does not address acute postoperative pain with sympathetic overdrive. The elevated heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure suggest a stress response mediated by catecholamines. Without analgesia, nociceptive signals continue to activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. While splinting is supportive, it lacks the pharmacologic efficacy needed to blunt nociceptive transmission at the spinal or supraspinal level.

Choice B rationale: Assessing IV patency is a procedural prerequisite for medication administration but not a therapeutic intervention in itself. It does not directly address the pathophysiology of acute pain or the sympathetic surge evidenced by tachycardia and hypertension. Pain activates ascending pathways via A-delta and C fibers, requiring pharmacologic blockade. IV access assessment is necessary but secondary to the urgent need for analgesia to prevent complications like hypoxia, hyperventilation, or delayed recovery.

Choice C rationale: High Fowler positioning may improve diaphragmatic excursion and reduce pulmonary complications, but it does not mitigate visceral or incisional pain. In fact, increased intra-abdominal pressure from upright posture may exacerbate pain at the surgical site. Pain perception involves central sensitization and peripheral nociceptor activation, which are unaffected by positioning. The client’s pale skin and elevated vitals indicate systemic distress requiring analgesic intervention, not postural adjustment. Thus, this choice lacks direct analgesic benefit.

Choice D rationale: IV analgesics act rapidly to inhibit nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord and brainstem levels. Opioids bind to mu receptors, reducing neurotransmitter release and hyperpolarizing neurons, thereby dampening pain signals. This intervention directly targets the physiologic cause of elevated heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. Normal heart rate is 60–100 bpm, respiratory rate 12–20 breaths/min, and BP <120/80 mmHg. Prompt analgesia prevents complications like hypoxia, delayed healing, and neuroendocrine stress