Reference no: EM133309536

Topic: An 8 year-old child is brought to the emergency room (ER) with a fractured right femur. The parents report that the child was playing baseball and while sliding into home plate, he collided with another player on the opposing team. The child requires surgery to repair the fracture. After surgery, the child will be in skeletal traction for two weeks and must remain on bedrest. Following skeletal traction, the child will be placed in a long leg cast.

Upon assessment, the vital signs are: Temp-37 C (98.6 F), pulse- 98 beats/minute, respirations-21 breaths/minute, and blood pressure-124/86 mm Hg. The child's pain level is an "8" on a scale of 0-10. Swelling and bruising of the thigh is noted. An X-ray confirms the diagnosis. The child is frightened about going to the operating room.

The child has no known allergies and takes a multivitamin every morning. His passion is sports, especially baseball, and when he grows up in wants to be a professional baseball player and play for the New York Yankees.

Questions:

• What can the nurse do to reduce the child's fear of hospitalization?
• According to Erikson, what psychosocial developmental stage is this child in?
• What diversional activities can the nurse provide while the child is in skeletal traction to promote growth and development?
• Following surgery, what assessment findings would cause the nurse to notify the health care provider (HCP)?
• What is compartment syndrome? What are the findings of compartment syndrome?
• What nursing actions should be taken when caring for a child in skeletal traction?
• What is a primary nursing diagnosis related to the above case study?
• After two weeks of skeletal traction, the child is placed in a long leg cast and is discharged. What discharge teaching should the nurse provide to the child and his parents regarding cast care?