Which nursing intervention is essential for patients with external fixation for fracture management?

Assessing the neurovascular status of the affected limb is the priority nursing consideration in a patient with a fracture. Checking for pulses, capillary refill, sensation, and motor function helps identify neurovascular compromise, which requires immediate intervention to prevent potential tissue damage and complications.

a. Monitoring the patient's pain level is essential, but it is not the priority over assessing neurovascular status. Pain management can be addressed after ensuring the limb's vascular and neurological integrity.
c. Evaluating the range of motion in nearby joints is important for overall assessment, but it is not as critical as assessing neurovascular status in a patient with a fracture.
d. Instructing the patient about cast care is necessary, but it is not the priority consideration when the patient's neurovascular status is at risk.

Patients with external fixation require close monitoring of the pin sites for signs of infection, as they are at risk of developing pin site infections.

a. Providing passive range of motion exercises: Passive range of motion exercises may be appropriate in some cases, but they are not specific to external fixation management.
b. Changing the dressing daily: Dressing changes for external fixation are typically done as instructed by the healthcare provider, which may not necessarily be daily.
c. Loosening the fixation screws every 4 hours: Fixation screws should not be loosened without proper medical guidance, as this can compromise the stability of the external fixation device.