Fractured Femur

Fractured Femur

Patient Profile
N.E. is a 32-year-old male who sustained a closed, complete, oblique fracture of the left femur in a single-vehicle motor vehicle accident.  He is being admitted to the orthopedic floor from the ED and is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow afternoon. He states he had asthma as a child and denies any other health problems.

Subjective Data

• Rates pain in left leg as 4 on a 0 to 10 pain scale after receiving 4 mg morphine IV in the ED 30 minutes prior to arrival on the orthopedic unit
• States his parents and girlfriend saw him in the ED and have gone home for the night and will come back tomorrow before his surgery

Objective Data

• Temperature  98.9° F, pulse 88, respirations 18, blood pressure 132/70
• Alert and oriented x 3
• Abrasion to forehead and multiple abrasions to arms and legs
• Left leg to 10 lbs. of Buck’s traction
• Bilateral feet/toes warm and pink with movement and sensation equal and within normal limits
• Dorsalis pedis  and posterior tibial pulses palpable at 3+