A Nurse Evaluates a Client's Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pump and Notices

Multiple Choice

A nurse evaluates a client's patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump and notices 100 attempts within a 30-minute period. Which is the best rationale for assessing this client for substance addiction?

A) Narcotic pain medication is contraindicated for all clients with active substance use disorders.
B) Clients who are addicted to alcohol or benzodiazepines may develop cross-tolerance to analgesics and require increased doses to achieve effective pain control.
C) There is no need to assess the client for substance addiction. There is an obvious PCA malfunction, because these clients have a higher pain tolerance.
D) The client is experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and needs accurate assessment.