Orthopaedic nursing
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Orthopaedic nursing · May 2015
Does the use of a brief cryotherapy intervention with analgesic administration improve pain management after total knee arthroplasty?
Prior studies have evaluated only the prolonged use of cryotherapy as a nonpharmacologic pain intervention. ⋯ In TKA patients, the short-term application of cryotherapy with analgesic medication administration did not significantly decrease pain or improve patient satisfaction with pain management compared with analgesic medication administration only. Further study is necessary to determine whether short-term cryotherapy shortly after TKA is of benefit to pain relief and patient satisfaction.
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Acetaminophen is a nonsteroidal, nonsalicylate analgesic and antipyretic that is, today, the most common medication ingredient found in oral and rectal over-the-counter and prescription drugs. However, it was not until 2010 that Ofirmev (acetaminophen), an injection form of acetaminophen, was approved for treating mild to moderate pain, as an adjunct to opioids for severe pain, and reduction of fever in those younger than 2 years. Thus, intravenous acetaminophen may be appropriately used in a wide variety of settings and nurses who are knowledgeable and informed about the correct use of intravenous acetaminophen will be able to reduce the potential for medication misadventures. In this article, the uses and cautions for Ofirmev are discussed.