A patient had a bowel resection 5 days ago.Which request by the patient might alert the nurse that the patient has a history of substance abuse?

A) Oral pain medication once every 6 to 8 hours
B) Patient-controlled analgesic
C) Oral pain medications instead of the IM form
D) Only nonpharmacological pain measures

Patients with a history of substance abuse may be more likely to abuse opioid pain medications, and the use of a patient-controlled analgesic (which allows the patient to self-administer the medication) may be a red flag for substance abuse. Options A and C are common pain management options for post-operative patients, and option D may not be sufficient for managing post-operative pain.