Week 9 discussion
Chronic Back Pain
Patients frequently present with complaints of pain such as
chronic back pain. They often seek medical care with the intent of receiving
drugs to manage the pain. Typically, for this type of pain, narcotic drugs are
often prescribed. This can pose challenges for you as the advanced practice
nurse prescribing the drugs. While there is a process for evaluating back pain,
it can be difficult to assess the intensity of a patient’s pain because pain is
a subjective experience. Only the person experiencing the pain truly knows
whether there is a need for drug treatments. This makes it important for you,
as the prescriber, to watch for red flags and warning signs of abuse. In this
Discussion, you explore the ethical implications of prescribing narcotics to patients
with chronic back pain.
To prepare:
Review this week’s media presentation on evaluating back
pain, as well as Chapter 15 of the Buttaro et al. text in the Learning
Resources. Reflect on the evaluation process for a patient with a history of
back pain.
Consider how you might evaluate a patient that presents with
back pain. Think about potential red flags and warning signs of drug abuse.
Reflect on the ethical implications of prescribing narcotics
for chronic back pain.
Think about what you would prescribe and why.
Post on or before Day 3 a description of how you might
evaluate a patient who presents with back pain. Then, describe potential red
flags and warning signs of drug abuse. Explain the ethical implications of
prescribing narcotics for chronic back pain. Finally, explain what you would prescribe
for patients and why.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
Respond on or before Day 6 to at least two of your
colleagues on two different days by providing additional insight on ethical
implications as well as possible patient classification with health insurance
companies.
Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for
entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.
