Posted: August 16th, 2017

Which of the following statements reflect nursing interventions in the care of the patientwith osteoarthritis?

Which of the following statements reflect nursing interventions in the care of the patientwith osteoarthritis?
a) Encourage weight loss and an increase in aerobic activity.
Weight loss and an increase in aerobic activity such as walking, with special attention to quadriceps strengthening are important approaches to pain management.
b) Provide an analgesic after exercise.
Patients should be assisted to plan their daily exercise at a time when the pain is least severe, or plan to use an analgesic, if appropriate, prior to their exercise session.
c) Assess for the gastrointestinal complications associated with COX-2 inhibitors.
Gastrointestinal complications, especially GI bleeding, are associated with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
d) Avoid the use of topical analgesics.
Topical analgesics such as capsaicin and methylsalicylate may be used for pain management.