A patient with severe flank pain rates 9/10 asks for pain relief. Which medication is appropriate to administer first?

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Multiple Choice

A patient with severe flank pain rates 9/10 asks for pain relief. Which medication is appropriate to administer first?

When a patient describes severe flank pain, relieving the pain right away is the top priority. Administering an analgesic directly targets the symptom and provides rapid relief, which also helps the patient tolerate any further examination or testing. Other options don’t address the pain itself: an antiemetic helps with nausea that might accompany pain, IV fluids may be needed for hydration but won’t reduce the pain, nitroglycerin isn’t indicated for flank pain, and while aspirin is an analgesic, the immediate best step is to give analgesia first to address the distress and enable evaluation.

When a patient describes severe flank pain, relieving the pain right away is the top priority. Administering an analgesic directly targets the symptom and provides rapid relief, which also helps the patient tolerate any further examination or testing. Other options don’t address the pain itself: an antiemetic helps with nausea that might accompany pain, IV fluids may be needed for hydration but won’t reduce the pain, nitroglycerin isn’t indicated for flank pain, and while aspirin is an analgesic, the immediate best step is to give analgesia first to address the distress and enable evaluation.

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