Pain Management Questions

Which condition, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is the only use for the lidocaine 5% patch? a. Postherpetic neuralgia b. Epidural anesthesia c. General anesthesia d. Diabetic neuropathy

a. Postherpetic neuralgia

A client has been prescribed a fentanyl patch for pain control. The nurse understands that this patch should be replaced how often? a. Every 12-24 hours b. Every 24-36 hours c. Every 36-60 hours d. Every 48-72 hours

d. Every 48-72 hours

The client reports chest pain. The nurse uses which of the following questions to assess the pain further. Select all answers that apply. a. "How long have you experienced this pain?" b. "Please point to where you are experiencing pain." c. "You've never had this pain before, have you?" d. "Rate the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst possible pain." e. "What aggravates your chest pain?"

a. "How long have you experienced this pain?" b. "Please point to where you are experiencing pain." d. "Rate the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst possible pain." e. "What aggravates your chest pain?"

How should the administration of analgesics be scheduled to provide a uniform level of pain relief to a client? a. Administering the analgesics every three hours b. Administering the analgesics intravenously c. Administering the analgesics on an as-needed basis d. Administering analgesics with increased dosage

a. Administering the analgesics every three hours

The nurse understands that which statement is true about tolerance and addiction? a. Although clients may need increasing levels of opioids, they are not addicted. b. Tolerance to opioids is uncommon. c. Addiction to opioids commonly develops. d. The nurse must be primarily concerned about development of addiction by a client in pain.

a. Although clients may need increasing levels of opioids, they are not addicted.

When a nurse asks a patient to describe the quality of the pain, what type of descriptive term does the nurse expect the patient to use? a. burning b. chronic c. intermittent d. severe

a. burning

When caring for a patient who is deaf, which of the following should be used to elicit information regarding the patient's level of pain? a. An outside interpreter should be used. b. Computer-generated speech c. Use of Braille d. Verbally asking the rate of pain

a. An outside interpreter should be used.

The client takes naproxen for arthritic pain and is now prescribed warfarin for persistent atrial fibrillation. Due to the interactions of the medications, what is the nurse's best response? a. Assess the client's stool for color b. Teach the client to ingest foods high in vitamin K c. Administer both medications with food to increase absorption d. Inform the client to decrease alcohol to one glass each day

a. Assess the client's stool for color

Prostaglandins are chemical substances with what property? a. Increase the sensitivity of pain receptors b. Reduce the perception of pain c. Inhibit the transmission of pain d. Inhibit the transmission of noxious stimuli

a. Increase the sensitivity of pain receptors

The nurse is obtaining data regarding medications the client is taking on a regular basis. The client states he is taking duloxetine, an antidepressant for the treatment of neuropathic pain. What type of therapy does the nurse understand the client is receiving? a. adjuvant drug therapy b. replacement drug therapy c. alternate drug therapy d. withdrawal therapy

a. adjuvant drug therapy

A patient who has bone cancer has a new order for a Fentanyl patch. She has previously been receiving morphine for pain. When administering a Fentanyl patch, the last dose of sustained-release morphine should be administered: a. at the same time the first patch is applied b. 1 hour prior c. 1 hour after d. there are no administration requirements

a. at the same time the first patch is applied

When using transdermal Fentanyl, the nurse and patient should be aware of which sign or symptom of Fentanyl overdose? a. confusion b. hyperalertness c. hyperventilation d. insomnia

a. confusion

A client is receiving morphine sulfate intravenously (IV) every 4 hours as needed for the relief of pain related to a surgical procedure the client had 3 days previously. The physician is discontinuing the IV and will be starting the client on oral pain medication. What would provide the client with optimal pain relief when discontinuing the IV dose? a. Administer a lower dose so the client does not get addicted to the medication. b. Administer an equianalgesic dose. c. The client should be ordered the medication to be administered intramuscularly (IM) instead of by mouth. d. Administer a higher dose of the medication by mouth.

b. Administer an equianalgesic dose.

The nurse informs the patient that a preventive approach for pain relief will be used, involving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. What will this mean for the patient? a. The pain medication will be administered before the pain becomes severe b. The pain medication will be administered before the pain is experienced. c. The pain medication will be administered when the pain is at its peak. d. The pain medication will be administered when the level of pain tolerance has been exceeded.

b. The pain medication will be administered before the pain is experienced.

When taking a client history, the nurse notes that the client is taking herbal remedies in addition to acetaminophen. Which herb, when taken in conjunction with acetaminophen, enhances the risk of bleeding? a. echinacea b. ginkgo c. willow d. kava

b. ginkgo

A client is prescribed methadone 10 mg three times a day for neuralgia following chemotherapy treatment. The client reports that he is experiencing constipation and asks the nurse for information about preventing constipation. The nurse recommends a. ingesting up to 6 glasses of fluids per day b. increasing the amount of bran and fresh fruits and vegetables c. using milk of magnesia 30 mL every day d. inserting a bisacodyl (Dulcolax) rectal suppository every morning

b. increasing the amount of bran and fresh fruits and vegetables

A client, who had an above the knee amputation of the left leg related to peripheral vascular disease from uncontrolled diabetes, complains of pain in the left lower extremity. What type of pain is the client experiencing? a. breakthrough pain b. neuropathic pain c. visceral pain d. referred pain

b. neuropathic pain

A nurse documents the presence of chronic pain on an electronic health record. Choose a description that could be used. The pain can be: a. Attributed to a specific cause. b. prolonged in duration c. Rapidly occurring and subsiding with treatment. d. Separate from any central or peripheral pathology.

b. prolonged in duration

Which of the following is the most important potential nursing diagnosis for the client receiving opiate therapy? a. risk for injury b. risk for impaired gas exchange c. diarrhea d. altered mobility

b. risk for impaired has exchange

A teenage client is undergoing a dressing change to burns on the thigh. The client refuses pain medication and states, "I do not hurt, and I don't need it." He is withdrawn, grimaces, and turns away during the dressing change. He was last medicated 8 hours ago. What is the best statement by the nurse? a. "You are so brave to not take your pain medication when the dressing change will hurt." b. "If you need pain relief, I can give you some medication when I have completed the dressing change." c. "I saw you grimacing during the dressing change. Please explain the reason you refused the pain medication." d. "You are so right to not take your pain medication. You can become dependent on the medication."

c. "I saw you grimacing during the dressing change. Please explain the reason you refused the pain medication."

A client informs the nurse that he has been taking ibuprofen every 6 hours for 3 weeks to help alleviate the pain of arthritis. The client has a history of a gastric ulcer and is taking a proton pump inhibitor for the treatment of this disorder. What should the nurse instruct the client about the use of the ibuprofen? a. "You should never take ibuprofen; it can cause considerable problems." b. "Ibuprofen is contraindicated when taking a proton pump inhibitor." c. "It would be best to contact the physician prior to take any over-the-counter medications." d. "Don't you know that you can cause bleeding when you take that medication so often?"

c. "It would be best to contact the physician prior to take any over-the-counter medications."

Which of the following is a reliable source for quantifying pain? a. The client's vital signs b. The nature of the client's injury or condition c. The client's description of the pain d. The extent of the client's injury

c. The client's description of the pain

A client who speaks Korean only had emergency surgery. No pain scale was established prior to surgery. To assess the client's pain postoperatively, the nurse a. Asks a family member to interpret b. Uses a 0 to 10 numeric pain intensity scale c. Uses a language translation phone line d. Obtains a visual analogues scale

c. Uses a language translation phone line

The advance nurse practitioner, who is treating a client diagnosed with neuropathic pain, decides to start adjuvant analgesic agent therapy. Which medication is appropriate for the nurse practitioner to prescribe? a. tramadol b. ketamine c. gabapentin d. hydromorphone

c. gabapentin

The nurse is caring for a client in the hospital who has been taking an analgesic for pain related to a chronic illness and has developed a tolerance to the medication. What is the most appropriate action by the nurse? a. Inform the client that he will not be able to receive more medication than the physician has ordered. b. Suggest a consultation with a psychiatrist to treat the client's addiction. c. Inform the client that you will ask the physician to order a non-narcotic analgesic. d. Consult with the prescriber regarding the need for an increased dose of the drug and not to reduce the frequency of administration.

d. Consult with the prescriber regarding the need for an increased dose of the drug and not to reduce the frequency of administration.

A client is being treated in a substance abuse unit of a local hospital. The nurse understands that when this client has compulsive behavior to use a drug for its psychic effect, the client needs to be monitored for which effect? a. Placebo b. dependence c. tolerance d. addiction

d. addiction

A client has been using NSAIDs daily over an extended period. Which of the following effects should the nurse carefully monitor for in this client? a. cardiac disorders b. urinary tract infection c. hypothyroidism d. gastrointestinal bleeding

d. gastrointestinal bleeding

The client is taking oxycodone (Oxycontin) for chronic back pain and reports decreased pain relief when he began taking a herb to improve his physical stamina. The nurse asks if the herb is a. valerian b. kava-kava c. chamomile d. ginseng

d. ginseng