What is the appropriate nursing action? The nurse is performing a colostomy irrigation on a male client. During the irrigation, the client begins to complain of abdominal cramps.
The best answer to this question is letter B. The irrigation should be stopped temporarily. While the process is stopped, the patient will be given a chance to rest. There are some patients who experience cramping because the pressure is too strong or they feel that the infusion of the water is too fast.
There is no need to notify the physician anymore as this is something that may happen from time to time. Plus, the nurse knows what he/she is doing. C is not recommended as this will only make the patient more uncomfortable. D is not appropriate as there is no need to provide pain medications to the patient anymore.
If cramping occurs during a colostomy irrigation, the irrigation flow is stopped temporarily and the client is allowed to rest. Cramping may occur from an infusion that is too rapid or is causing too much pressure. The physician does not need to be notified. Increasing the height of the irrigation will cause further discomfort. Medicating the client for pain is not the appropriate action in this situation.