A patient has a morphine sulfate patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) to control postoperative pain. When the nurse enters the room, the patient complains of pain. The nurse's first response is which of the following?

A. "The PCA will give additional pain medication whenever the button is pushed." PCA pumps have lockout intervals to prevent overdose, so pushing the button repeatedly will not always result in additional medication.
B. "Wait until the pain becomes severe before pushing the PCA button." PCA is most effective when used at the onset of pain rather than waiting until it becomes severe, which can make pain harder to control.
C. "The PCA will deliver medication through the IV until the pain is all gone." PCA provides controlled doses of medication but does not eliminate pain entirely. The goal is pain management, not complete pain relief.
D. "You or a designated family member are the only one who gets to push the PCA button—nobody else may do so." PCA is designed for patient-controlled use, and only the patient (or a designated, trained family member in special cases) should operate it to ensure proper dosing and safety.

A. Hyperventilation. Opioid overdose depresses the central nervous system, leading to slow and shallow breathing, not increased respiratory rate (hyperventilation).
B. Eupnea. Eupnea refers to normal breathing, which is unlikely in opioid overdose because opioids suppress respiratory drive.
C. Bradypnea. Opioids act on the brainstem's respiratory centers, leading to respiratory depression, characterized by slow breathing (bradypnea) and, in severe cases, respiratory arrest. This is the most life-threatening effect requiring immediate intervention.
D. Hyperpnea. Hyperpnea refers to deep breathing, which is not a typical response to opioid overdose. Instead, breathing becomes slow and shallow, increasing the risk of hypoxia.