Introduction
According to the medical history, the patient is a male adolescent who lives with his mother and brother. Judging by the information provided, the boy has a substantial interpersonal communication issue caused by the unstable situation in his family. There are no people who the patient can trust among his relatives. His father does not live with them and does not visit the boy, even in stressful situations. The patient does not have a close relationship with his mother either as it was reported that the boy was more open to discussions when his mother left the room. The age difference is significant when compared to his sibling, as he is only ten years old.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the patient’s brother can be a source of reliable support and protection. As a result, the adolescent does not have trusting relationships with anyone in his family, which deteriorates communication among relatives. The primary ethical issue in the family, which caused a crisis situation, is the divorce of the patient’s parents. The boy’s mother has openly stated that the divorce impacts the boy’s study performance and psychological well-being.
Factors that Should Be Considered in Treating the Patient
There are many factors that should be considered in treating patients. In this case, the most significant of them include pain and dental phobia, comorbidities, previous history on dental trauma, allergic reactions, type of insurance, and area of residence. The patient asserted that ibuprofen and oxycodone did not bring relief and he still felt pain. Therefore, it is necessary to eradicate pain to end the suffering of the patient.
Before that, it is crucial to make sure that the boy does not have any allergic reactions to medication. To ensure effective treatment, there is a need to consider comorbidities to avoid the adverse effects of the prescribed drugs if there are any additional unfavorable conditions possessed by the patient. Also, it is beneficial to examine the type of patient’s insurance to suggest treatment that can be covered by the insurance plan if possible. Since the boy lives in the rural area, it is better to recommend purchasing prescribed medicine before the patient returns home as sometimes there are no pharmacies in the suburbs.
Communication Approach Used for Talking with the Patient
The best approach that can be used in talking to the patient is the provision of his privacy. It means that healthcare professionals should communicate with the patient when he is alone, without his mother or other family members. Moreover, medical workers should carefully think about who has access to the information and provide it only to authorized individuals, if it is reasonable. In addition, the patient should always have an opportunity to obtain his personal records if he wants to see them. It promotes the building of trusting relationships between healthcare professionals and people receiving medical treatment, protects patients’ privacy, and achieves the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance.
Strategies to Assist the Patient in Controlling His Pain
The strategy that can be used in assisting the patient in controlling his pain is a multi-tiered approach. This approach implies the assessment of the patient’s pain with the help of numeric and color scales that invite the boy to rate his feelings. Based on the answers, healthcare professionals should prescribe drugs avoiding opioids as they may have negative side effects, such as addiction and tolerance. The pain assessment should be frequently reevaluated and opioids should be used only if the prescribed drugs do not bring pain relief.