Medication: Morphine
Brittany Long is a 5-year-old African American female with a history of sickle cell disease, diagnosed at 6 months old, and has been prescribed regular folic acid supplement.
She was brought into the emergency department during the night by her mother, who stated that the patient has been complaining of right lower leg pain over the last 2 days. Brittany rated her pain as a 5 on the FACES Scale and did not want anyone to touch her leg during assessment. She has not had an appetite in the last 24 hours but has taken small amounts of oral fluids.
She has had pain crises before, mostly managed at home with acetaminophen and ibuprofen. She has been hospitalized twice, once at age 4 years for a vaso-occlusive crisis episode and once at age 3 years for a fever.
Brittany was given oral pain medication in the emergency department at 6:00 AM. She is asleep but is responsive when awakened. She has been taking small amounts of oral fluids and continues to receive intravenous maintenance fluids at 52 mL/hr. When examined this morning, her blood pressure was 101/70 and her temperature was 37.4°C (99°F). She now rates her pain as a 3. New orders have been given.
Medication: Morphine
