During cold compress therapy, which sign should prompt notifying the physician?

• A. Increased swelling or redness or pain worsens
• B. No change in pain
• C. Decreased swelling
• D. Improved redness

Answer: (A)

The main idea is to recognize warning signs during cold therapy that indicate the injury may be getting worse or that treatment is unsafe. If swelling or redness increases, or if pain worsens, that signals something beyond the expected calming of inflammation and pain. It could mean the injury is more serious than initially thought, an infection is developing, there’s tissue irritation from the cold, or the cold application is inappropriate for this condition. These signs require notifying the physician so the treatment plan can be reassessed.

By contrast, a lack of change in pain, or a reduction in swelling and redness, generally suggests the therapy is helping and doesn’t automatically require escalation. Continue as directed and consult if improvement stalls or symptoms change in a concerning way.

Safety note: use cold for short intervals, protect the skin, and stop therapy if numbness, persistent color changes, or new severe burning occurs.