A client with a lower leg fracture has a cast applied. The nurse notes increasing pain unrelieved by analgesics, pallor, and paresthesia in the affected foot. Which complication should the nurse suspect?

✓ Correct Answer: Option D

Increasing pain unrelieved by analgesics, pallor, and paresthesia (the 'P's) are classic signs of compartment syndrome. This is an emergent condition where increased pressure within a muscle compartment compromises circulation and nerve function, requiring immediate intervention.