An 80-year-old male client presents to the emergency department with a fractured ankle and multiple abrasions and contusions. He is admitted to the hospital with an order for oxycodone for pain. Oxycodone may be prescribed for a geriatric client because the drug has which characteristic?

It has a short half-life and is less likely to accumulate, causing toxicity or overdosage.

Explanation:

The complete question is as follows:

An 80-year-old male client presents to the emergency department with a fractured ankle and multiple abrasions and contusions. He is admitted to the hospital with an order for oxycodone for pain. Oxycodone may be prescribed for a geriatric client because the drug has which characteristic?

It has a short half-life and is less likely to accumulate, causing toxicity or overdosage.

It is metabolized by the liver.

It is excreted by the kidney.

It has a long half-life and will manage bone pain more effectively.

Oxycodone is a narcotic drug that is used for treating pain that can be moderate or severe. Oxycodone is an opioid, an opioid acts on the opioid receptors that can produce morphine-like effects and acts as pain relievers. Since the 80-year-old client has fractured ankle along with abrasions and contusions he must be administered pain relievers and thus, an opioid has to be prescribed. When opioids are prescribed, those with short half-lives are used because they are less likely to accumulate and oxycodone is one of them.