Question

Cerebral Palsy: Scenario: T.M. is an 8-year-old with cerebral palsy who has been admitted to your unit following surgery for a femoral osteotomy and tendon lengthening to stabilize hip joints and to help reduce spasticity. He is admitted with a hip spica cast, and epidural for pain management, and a Foley catheter. He also has a gastrostomy tube that was in place before the surgery. 1. What are the issues common to CP that you should consider when planning and providing care to T.M.? 2. What are your top five priorities in providing nursing care to T.M.? 3. T.M. is 16 hours postop and is crying and extremely agitated. His mother asks you to give him some diazepam. What information should you gather from Mrs. M to better understand her request for the medication? What is the most likely reason Mrs. M is requesting diazepam?

Answer 1

1, Preventing injury and deformity are important for the patient because the cerebral palsy patient has common problems with seizures, poor muscle coordination, spasticity, and hearing loss, vision problem, speech difficulty, and intellectual disability and tremors.
2, Preventing injury, balancing nutrition and skin integrity, improving therapeutic communication, relieving pain, providing emotional support for mother is the top five priority for this patient.
3, Gather information about diazepam medication, dosage use, how long they use, which reason, and how the symptoms will reduce and which doctor prescribed this medication. diazepam for the cerebral palsy patient it relaxes their muscles and enhance passive stretching and help for muscle relaxation, due to spasticity it contracts muscles and causes stiffness.