A male client with pancreatitis complains of pain. The nurse expects the physician to prescribe meperidine (Demerol) instead of morphine to relieve pain because:
a. meperidine provides a better, more prolonged analgesic effect.
b. morphine may cause spasms of Oddi’s sphincter.
c. meperidine is less addictive than morphine.
d. morphine may cause hepatic dysfunction.
Answer B.
For a client with pancreatitis, the physician will probably avoid prescribing morphine because this drug may trigger spasms of the sphincter of Oddi (a sphincter at the end of the pancreatic duct), causing irritation of the pancreas. Meperidine has a somewhat shorter duration of action than morphine. The two drugs are equally addictive. Morphine isn’t associated with hepatic dysfunction.
a. meperidine provides a better, more prolonged analgesic effect.
b. morphine may cause spasms of Oddi’s sphincter.
c. meperidine is less addictive than morphine.
d. morphine may cause hepatic dysfunction.
Answer B.
For a client with pancreatitis, the physician will probably avoid prescribing morphine because this drug may trigger spasms of the sphincter of Oddi (a sphincter at the end of the pancreatic duct), causing irritation of the pancreas. Meperidine has a somewhat shorter duration of action than morphine. The two drugs are equally addictive. Morphine isn’t associated with hepatic dysfunction.