Certified Hospice and Palliative Assistant (CHPNA) Practice Test 2025 - Free CHPNA Exam Practice Questions and Preparation Guide

The indication for increasing the scheduled dose of opioids is the need for more than three rescue doses in a day. This situation generally signifies that the current dosage is insufficient in managing a patient's pain effectively, leading them to require additional doses more frequently than anticipated. In palliative care, maintaining comfort and pain control is paramount; therefore, if a patient frequently exceeds the expected limit for rescue doses, it suggests that their pain management plan needs to be reevaluated, potentially leading to an increase in the baseline opioid dose to provide better overall control.

Feeling sedated, while a significant aspect to monitor, does not necessarily indicate that pain control is inadequate. Sedation can occur due to factors beyond just pain management, such as drug interactions or the individual patient's response to opioids. Experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms typically reflects a need for adjustment in the opioid strategy but does not directly suggest pain management inadequacy. Frequent changes in pain location can prompt consideration for reassessment of pain management but do not directly indicate an increase in the scheduled dose unless accompanied by corresponding increases in pain severity.