Health Assessment Ch. 9 PrepU
A nursing instructor is teaching students how to assess a client's pain. The instructor emphasizes that there are many misconceptions about pain. The instructor realizes that a student needs further direction when the student states: "Acute pain can be as intense as chronic pain." "Patients with chronic illnesses can have chronic pain." "Chronic pain can be referred to as persistent pain." "Nurses are the best authority on pain."
"Nurses are the best authority on pain." Pain is what the client says it is, and it exists whenever the client says it does. The client is the best authority on pain, and self-report is the gold standard. Therefore, nurses are not authorities on pain. It is true that clients with chronic illnesses can and often do have chronic pain. It also is true that acute pain can be intense. Chronic pain is sometimes known as persistent pain.
As a nurse is adjusting a client's hospital bed, the nurse accidently pinches a finger between the bed and the wall. Which of the following components is involved in the transduction of the pain the nurse feels? K-fibers L-beta fibers A-delta and C fibers neuronal plasticity
A-delta and C fibers The nurse is experiencing nociceptive or somatic pain. A-delta fibers are large nerve fibers covered with myelin that conduct pain impulses rapidly. The sharp or stabbing pain the nurse feels as the finger is pinched involves these fibers. C fibers are smaller, unmyelinated nerve fibers that conduct pain impulses more diffusely and slowly. The achy pain that lingers after the nurse has withdrawn the finger—that the nurse might "shake off"—involves these fibers. Neuronal plasticity refers to changes in pain signal processing due to a prolonged stimulus; the result is chronic sensation of pain after the original stimulus is removed. There are no "K-fibers" or "L-beta fibers."
A client is reporting pain and rates it as 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. When the nurse asks him to describe the pain, he states, "It feels like a knife is stabbing or cutting me." The nurse knows that this type of pain is conducted by which fibers? AC fibers C fibers A-delta fibers P fibers
A-delta fibers A-delta fibers are myelinated and conduct impulses rapidly, resulting in pain being described as sharp or stabbing. C fibers are unmyelinated and cause pain that is achy and ongoing. There are no known AC or P fibers related to pain.
A client presents to the health care clinic with reports of a 2-day history of sore throat, ear pressure, fever, and stiff neck. The client states she has taken Tylenol and lozenges without relief. Which nursing diagnosis can be confirmed by this data? Risk for deficient fluid volume related to fever Acute pain related to sore throat Anxiety related to prolonged pain Impaired physical mobility related stiff neck
Acute pain related to sore throat The client describes pain of 2 days' duration, which is within the definition for acute pain. The client did not describe or display any major defining characteristics of anxiety such as restlessness, concern about lifestyle changes, or sleep disturbances. The stiff neck was not confirmed by objective data collected by the nurse. No evidence exists for the client to have risk for deficient fluid volume.
The nurse is caring for a client who is experiencing visceral pain. What is this client's most likely diagnosis? Appendicitis Bone fracture Myocardial infarction Shingles
Appendicitis Visceral pain originates from abdominal organs; clients often describe this pain as crampy or gnawing.
The nurse is attempting to assess pain in a nonverbal, very lethargic client. The client just arrived back to his room after an MRI scan and appears restless. There are no visitors in the room with the client. What is the nurse's best action? Complete the Brief Pain Inventory. Administer a trial dose of analgesia. Assess pain using the FACES scale. Use the FLACC scale to assess pain.
Administer a trial dose of analgesia. Patients Unable to Report Pain The JCAHO instituted pain management guidelines in 2001 that mandated the assessment of pain for all clients (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 2001). Self-report is the most reliable indicator of pain, but many clients cannot communicate verbally. The development of behavioral tools for assessing pain in nonverbal clients is the newest area of pain assessment and a developing science. When attempting to perform a pain assessment on a client who cannot self-report pain, do the following: • Attempt a self-report of pain. • Try to identify any potential causes for pain. • Observe client behaviors. • Ask the family or other caregivers if they have noticed any changes in behavior. • Attempt an analgesic trial (Herr, Bjoro, and Decker, 2006b). The FACES scale is used in children 2 months to 7 years old. The FLACC scale was originally designed to measure acute postoperative pain in children 2 months to 7 years old. A limitation of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) is that the client must be able to correlate the questions to his or her individual pain experience using the various scales.
A post-operative client is observed breathing 24 breaths/minute while complaining of 10/10 abdominal pain. The client's oxygen saturation is 90% on 2 liters nasal cannula. What is the nurse's priority action? Manually ventilate client with ambu bag at bedside. Explain why deep breathing and coughing is important. Administer prescribed analgesia as ordered. Teach and encourage incentive spirometry use.
Administer prescribed analgesia as ordered. The client is complaining of a the highest level of pain at 10/10. Therefore, the increased respirations and low oxygen saturation are likely a result of hypoventilation due to pain. Acute pain that is not adequately treated can impair pulmonary function. When the client is suffering from an intense amount of time, the client may not be very receptive to teaching and explanations. The client may have the desire to cough and deep breathe but is unable to due to the intensity of pain. The client can still breathe on his/her own, so an ambu bag is not needed.
During a lecture on pain management, the nursing instructor informs the group of nursing students that the primary treatment measure for pain is which of the following? Surgery Relaxation techniques Analgesics Cutaneous stimulation
Analgesics Analgesics are most often the primary treatment measure for pain, although a growing trend involves the integration of complementary, nonpharmacologic measures with conventional medicine.
How may a nurse demonstrate cultural competence when responding to clients in pain? Avoid stereotyping responses to pain by clients. Treat every client exactly the same, regardless of culture. Be knowledgeable and skilled in medication administration. Know the action and side effects of all pain medications.
Avoid stereotyping responses to pain by clients. Culture influences an individual's response to pain. It is particularly important to avoid stereotyping responses to pain because the nurse frequently encounters clients who are in pain or anticipating it will develop. A form of pain expression that is frowned on in one culture may be desirable in another cultural group.
A middle aged female client presents to the emergency department complaining of indigestion and left arm pain. What is the nurse's best action? Check the client's vital signs and connect her to a cardiac monitor. Request a strong narcotic analgesic for the client's visceral pain complaints. Alert the healthcare provider to the client's somatic pain complaints. Administer an antacid and apply a topical anesthetic for the arm pain.
Check the client's vital signs and connect her to a cardiac monitor. Pain nociception has various locations. Visceral pain originates from abdominal organs; clients often describe this pain as crampy or gnawing. Somatic pain originates from skin, muscles, bones, and joints; clients usually describe somatic pain as sharp (D'Arcy, 2014). Cutaneous pain derives from the dermis, epidermis, and subcutaneous tissues. It is often burning or sharp, such as with a partial-thickness burn. Referred pain originates from a specific site, but the person experiencing it feels the pain at another site along the innervating spinal nerve. An example is cardiac pain that a person experiences as indigestion, neck pain, or arm pain. Phantom pain is pain in an extremity or body part that is no longer there (e.g., a client who experiences pain in a leg with an amputation). The client is presenting with atypical chest pain and should be assessed for pain of a cardiac origin.
A male client with a history of a back injury 2 months ago has been taking daily doses of narcotic pain medication. He is currently hospitalized with a leg fracture after falling down the stairs. He complains of 10/10 pain in his back and leg after taking pain medication one hour ago. What is the nurse's best action? Tell the client to take his own prescription medication. Request a psychiatric evaluation for drug seeking behavior. Inform the client that the next dose of medication is due in one more hour. Consult with the healthcare provider about increasing the dose of medication.
Consult with the healthcare provider about increasing the dose of medication. Clients with a history of opioid tolerance pose difficult challenges for pain assessment (D'Arcy, 2014). They have an altered physiologic response to the pain stimulus, and the repeated use of opioids causes their bodies to become more sensitive to pain. This sensitivity is called opioid hyperalgesia and can occur as soon as 1 month after opioid use begins. Not only are clients with opioid tolerance more sensitive to pain, they face a high level of bias from health care providers. Because these clients are more sensitive to pain, they often report high levels of pain with little relief from usual doses of opioids. They are often labeled as drug seeking.
The nurse is working on a pediatric unit caring for a 4-year-old who is recovering from the surgical repair of the pelvis. When assessing the client's pain, what is the most appropriate pain assessment tool for the nurse to use? Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability Scale FACES Pain Scale Visual Analog Scale Numeric Pain Intensity Scale
FACES Pain Scale Children 2 years and older can identify pain and point to its location. You can use a facial expression scale for children starting at approximately 3 years. The FACES scale uses six faces ranging from happy with a wide smile to sad with tears on the face.
The nurse is working in the post anesthesia care unit and assessing pain in a 6 month old infant. Which method should the nurse use to assess the infant's pain? FLACC scale. BPIQ tool. Measure heart rate. Count respirations.
FLACC scale. The FLACC (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability) scale was originally designed to measure acute postoperative pain in children 2 months to 7 years old. Heart rate and respirations are part of an infant pain assessment; however the FLACC scale is the most comprehensive tool. The BPIQ (brief pain impact questionnaire) is used mainly to assess chronic pain in adults.
A nurse assesses a cognitively impaired adult client who grimaces and points to the right knee following a motor vehicle accident. Which pain scale would be most appropriate for the nurse to use to assess the client's pain? Numeric Rating Scale Verbal Descriptor Scale Visual Analog Scale Faces Pain Scale
Faces Pain Scale The nurse should use the Faces Pain Scale (FPS) to rate the pain felt by the client. The FPS shows different facial expressions; the client is asked to choose the face that best describes the intensity or level of pain being experienced. This tool is best suited for cognitively impaired adults. A Verbal Descriptor Scale (VDS) ranges pain on a scale between mild, moderate, and severe. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) rates pain on a scale from 0 to 10: 0 reflects no pain and 10 reflects pain at its worst. It has been shown to be best for older adults with no cognitive impairment. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) rates pain on a 10-cm continuum numbered from 0 to 10: 0 reflects no pain and 10 reflects pain at its worst. These scales would require verbal communication between the client and the nurse.
The nursing student asks the nurse what would be an example of visceral pain. What would be the correct response by the nurse? Arthritic pain Gallbladder pain Burn pain Cardiac pain
Gallbladder pain Visceral pain originates from abdominal organs, such as the gallbladder. Burns cause cutaneous pain, which is derived from the dermis, epidermis, and subcutaneous tissues. Referred pain originates from a specific site, but is experienced in another site along the innervating spinal nerve, such as occurs with cardiac pain. Somatic pain originates from skin, muscles, bones, and joints, such as arthritic pain.
What is the most commonly accepted theory of pain? Gatekeeper theory Pain stimulus theory Pain transmission theory Gate control theory
Gate control theory Currently, the theory of pain with the widest acceptance is the gate control theory. The other three options do not represent a theory of pain.
A client on a medical-surgical unit reports pain of 10 on a scale of 0 to 10 and wants more pain medication. The nurse does not think the pain is as bad as the client says. The physician left orders for prn morphine for breakthrough pain. What is the priority nursing action? Hold the medication and wait 30 minutes Give the prn morphine Document the client's pain rating on a scale of 0 to 10 Call the physician to check the order
Give the prn morphine Pain is what the client says it is, and it exists whenever the client says it does. It would not be appropriate to hold the medication for 30 minutes, call the physician to check the order, or just document the client's pain.
A client complains of pain in several areas of the body. How should the nurse assess this client's pain? Ask the client to rate the area with the highest pain level. Mark each site on the client's body with a marker. Have the client rate each location separately. If pain does not radiate, there is no need to rate that area.
Have the client rate each location separately. When assessing pain location, ask the client to point to the painful area. If more than one area is painful, have the client rate each one separately, and note which area is the most painful. Marking each site is not necessary practice for assessing pain. Pain is a subjective sensation for the client. Radiating pain is notable, because such radiation may affect treatment choices.
A nurse is assessing the effect of a client's chronic back pain on his affective dimension. Which question should the nurse ask for this assessment? What is the highest level of education you've completed? How does the pain influence your overall mood? Where is the pain located? What medical conditions do you have?
How does the pain influence your overall mood? The question regarding the influence of the pain on mood would address the client's affective dimension, which includes feelings and emotions that result from the pain. The question regarding medical conditions would help assess the client's physical dimension. The question regarding the location of the pain would address the client's sensory dimension. The question regarding the client's education would address his cognitive dimension.
A client who was in an automobile accident a week ago is at home recovering from her injuries. She contacts her primary care provider's office to report that she still has severe pain in her back, resulting from an injury to that region, that has not been lessened by two different pain relievers that the physician had prescribed for her. The nurse recognizes this as which type of pain? Visceral Intractable Referred Chronic
Intractable Intractable pain is pain that is highly resistant to pain relief, which appears to be the case in this situation. Referred pain is perceived in body areas away from the pain source; because the pain this client is experiencing is due to an injury to the back, this does not seem to be referred pain. Chronic pain is pain that persists longer than 6 months. Visceral pain is pain experienced in a deep organ, typically in the abdominal cavity, thorax, or cranium.
A student nurse learns that especially in the very young and very old pain can be inadequately treated. What else would the student learn about inadequate pain treatment in the very young? It can lead to higher client compliance with medication It can lead to neurodevelopmental problems It can lead to an increase in hormonal disorders It can lead to nutritional deficiencies from lack of appetite
It can lead to neurodevelopmental problems Inadequate pain treatment can lead to a delay in healing and behavioral consequences, such as learning disabilities, psychiatric disorders, and neurodevelopmental problems. It does not increase hormonal disorders, nutritional deficiencies, or client compliance with medication.
The U.S. government has created guidelines for health care providers caring for clients in pain. Which of the following reflect these guidelines? American Pain Society Guidelines for Pain Management. National Institutes of Health Standards for Pain Treatment. American Cancer Society Guidelines for Pain Management. Joint Commission Standards for Pain Management.
Joint Commission Standards for Pain Management. Joint Commission Standards for Pain Management were revised and published in 2000-2001. The standards require health care providers and organizations to improve pain assessment and management for all clients.
A nurse is using the FLACC (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability) scale for pediatric pain assessment to assess for pain in a 6-month-old client. Which of the following findings on this assessment tool would indicate the strongest pain in the client? Whimpering Lying quietly Kicking Occasional grimace or frown
Kicking According to the FLACC scale for pediatric pain assessment, kicking or the legs being drawn up is a strong sign indicating pain, as it would receive a 2. An occasional grimace or frown and whimpering are weaker signs of pain, as they would each warrant only a 1. Lying quietly is a normal activity and indicates the absence of pain; thus, it would receive a 0.
Which would the nurse recognize as an example of visceral pain? Select all that apply. Liver pain Muscular pain Gallbladder pain Pancreatic pain Burn pain
Liver pain Gallbladder pain Pancreatic pain Examples of visceral pain include pain associated with the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Pain associated with a burn is an example of cutaneous pain. Muscular pain is a type of somatic pain.
A client recovering from a stroke complains of pain. The nurse suspects this client is most likely experiencing which type of pain? Somatic Neuropathic Idiopathic Nociceptive
Neuropathic Neuropathic pain can occur from central nervous system brain injury caused by a stroke. Nociceptive pain is caused by tissue damage. Somatic pain is another term used for nociceptive pain. Idiopathic pain does not have an identified cause.
A 12-year-old boy has reported to the emergency department after having fallen off his bicycle and sustained what appear to be minor injuries. The nurse is assessing him for pain. Which of the following objective findings would most tend to indicate pain? Nodding up and down in response to questions Maintaining a consistent position and posture Upright posture while sitting Sustained eye contact with the nurse
Nodding up and down in response to questions Nodding up and down or saying, "yeah, yeah," may not indicate a client's positive response to questions, but rather may indicate just listening or not wanting to be negative, as responding verbally or in detail would require too much effort while the client is in pain. The other findings listed would all tend to indicate a lack of pain: upright posture, sustained eye contact, and maintaining a consistent position and posture.
Which of the following principles should the nurse integrate into the pain assessment and pain management of pediatric clients? Pain assessment may require multiple methods in order to ensure accurate pain data. Pharmacologic pain relief should be used only as an intervention of last resort. A numeric scale should be used to assess pain if the child is older than 5 years of age. The developing neurological system children transmits less pain than in older clients.
Pain assessment may require multiple methods in order to ensure accurate pain data. It is often necessary to use more than one technique for pain assessment in children. Though their neurological system is indeed developing, children feel pain acutely, and it is inappropriate to withhold analgesics until they are a "last resort." It is simplistic to specify a numeric pain scale for all clients above a certain age; the assessment tool should reflect the client's specific circumstances, abilities, and development.
A nurse is caring for an elderly client who is unable to walk without a support due to knee pain. During his initial assessment, however, the client does not mention pain. Which of the following beliefs common in elderly clients may cause them to underreport their pain? Pain can be eliminated with medication Pain will draw their families closer to them Pain is a normal part of aging Pain is harmless
Pain is a normal part of aging When assessing elderly clients, the nurse should remember that they often underreport pain. Many elderly people believe that pain is a normal part of aging, may be a punishment for past actions, may result in a loss of independence, and may indicate that death is near. Elderly clients usually do not believe that pain is harmless, that medicine will eliminate pain, or that pain will draw the family closer to the elderly client.
Which of the following cultural expressions of pain would be likely to be found in a person of Hispanic culture? Pain may be caused by past transgressions and helps to atone and achieve higher spirituality. Pain must be endured to perform gender role duties, but response to it is very expressive. Pain is part of the preparation for the next life in the cycle of reincarnation. Pain is honorable and should be endured.
Pain must be endured to perform gender role duties, but response to it is very expressive. In the Hispanic culture pain response is often very expressive, though pain must be endured to perform gender role duties.
A client enters the emergency department moaning and complaining of severe pain in his lower back. Which of the following clinical manifestations should the nurse expect to see in this client as a physiologic response to pain? Select all that apply. Hypoglycemia Increased heart rate Sleeplessness Perspiration Increased intestinal motility
Perspiration Increased heart rate Sleeplessness Sleeplessness, perspiration, and increased heart rate are physiologic responses to pain. Pain elicits a stress response in the human body that triggers the sympathetic nervous system. Hyperglycemia, not hypoglycemia, and decreased, not increased, intestinal motility are physiologic responses to pain.
In addition to pain intensity, what is another basic element of a pain assessment? Preferred assessment tool History Focused goal Quality
Quality Some prefer to use mnemonics to remember the elements of pain assessment. One of these is PQRST: O: Onset; P: Provocative or palliative; Q: Quality; R: Region and radiation; S: Severity; T: Timing.
The client comes to the emergency department reporting indigestion and left arm pain. The physician orders an EKG along with drawing of cardiac enzymes. When the results are back, the client is informed of the diagnosis of heart attack. The indigestion and arm pain are examples of which of the following? Somatic pain Cutaneous pain Referred pain Visceral pain
Referred pain Referred pain originates from a specific site, but the person feels the pain at another site along the innervated spinal nerve. An example is cardiac pain that the person experiences as arm pain and indigestion. Visceral pain originates from abdominal organs. Cutaneous pain derives from the dermis, epidermis, and subcutaneous tissues. Somatic pain originates from skin, muscles, bones, and joints.
The nurse is assessing the pain of an older adult client who is recovering from a right hip open reduction procedure. What element would the nurse know it is important to review to best understand the client's pain? Family history Sleep patterns Genetic history Elimination pattern
Sleep patterns When assessing pain in older adults, the nurse should be sure to also review the effects of pain on diet, sleep, and mood. Unrelieved pain may lead to insomnia or depression and seriously affect the client's quality of life. It would not be necessary to assess the family history, genetic history, or elimination pattern to gain insight into the client's pain level.
A client who suffers from arthritis complains of sharp pain in her knees and elbows. The nurse recognizes this is what type of pain? Visceral Referred Somatic Cutaneous
Somatic Pain nociception has various locations. Visceral pain originates from abdominal organs; clients often describe this pain as crampy or gnawing. Somatic pain originates from skin, muscles, bones, and joints; clients usually describe somatic pain as sharp (D'Arcy, 2014). Cutaneous pain derives from the dermis, epidermis, and subcutaneous tissues. It is often burning or sharp, such as with a partial-thickness burn. Referred pain originates from a specific site, but the person experiencing it feels the pain at another site along the innervating spinal nerve.
The nurse enters an older client's room to assess for pain and discovers the client is hard of hearing. What is the nurse's best action? Suggest client purchase a hearing aid. Utilize the FLACC scale. Speak to the client face to face. Ask client to numerically rate pain in a high-pitched voice.
Speak to the client face to face. When assessing the older client for pain, determine whether the client has any auditory impairment. If so, position your face in the client's view, speak in a slow, normal tone of voice, reduce extraneous noises, and provide written instructions. The FLACC scale is used primarily for infants. Hearing aids are expensive and suggesting to purchased one does not aid in the pain assessment at present.
An elderly farmer has sustained severe injuries after a serious accident involving a combine harvester. At the hospital, he tells the nurse that he thinks the pain he is feeling now is "payback" for living a "mean, selfish life." The nurse recognizes that this response by the man indicates which dimension of pain? Spiritual dimension Cognitive dimension Affective dimension Sociocultural dimension
Spiritual dimension The spiritual dimension refers to the meaning and purpose that the person "attributes to the pain, self, others, and the divine." In this case, it seems that the man is interpreting his accident and subsequent pain as divine retribution for his past wrongdoings. The cognitive dimension concerns "beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and motivations related to the pain and its management." The sociocultural dimension concerns the influences of the client's social context and cultural background on the client's pain experience. The affective dimension concerns feelings, sentiments, and emotions related to the pain experience.
The Joint Commission mandates that nurses assess and reassess a client's pain level. A nurse's healthcare facility mandates pain reassessment at 30 minutes for any drug given intravenously. This mandate is based on what? The median half-life of an intravenous pain medication The time it takes a pain medication to decrease pain intensity The research supporting intravenous medications given for pain take half as long to work as oral medications The time it takes a pain medication to block pain in a client
The time it takes a pain medication to decrease pain intensity Most healthcare facilities have a standard time frame for reassessment, such as 1 hour for oral medication and 30 minutes for pain medication given intravenously. Standards are based on the time it takes a pain medication to provide a noticeable decrease in pain intensity. The mandate from The Joint Commission does not look at the half-life of the pain medication, because the half-life would differ from drug to drug, and no drug is listed in the question. The pain medication does not block pain, but decreases the pain intensity. Research does not support that intravenous medication take half as long to work as oral medication, because this information depends on the individual drug and the chemical makeup of the drug.
A client injures his thumb by accidently slamming the car door shut on it. He arrives at the emergency department in intense pain. Which of the following processes is associated with the transduction process of this pain? Changes or inhibitions to the pain message relay in the spinal cord Inflammation leading to conduction of an impulse to the spinal cord Emotional response and rational interpretation and response Tissue injury leading to inflammation
Tissue injury leading to inflammation Transduction of pain begins when a mechanical, thermal, or chemical stimulus results in tissue injury or damage, resulting in an inflammatory process. The transmission process is initiated by this inflammatory process, resulting in the conduction of an impulse in the primary afferent neurons to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The process of pain perception involves the hypothalamus and limbic system, which are responsible for the emotional aspect of the pain perception, and the frontal cortex, which is responsible for the rational interpretation and response to pain. Modulation changes or inhibits the pain message relay in the spinal cord.
A nurse is caring for a client with dull ache in her abdomen. On the way to the health care facility, the client vomits and shows symptoms of pallor. What kind of pain is the client experiencing? Visceral pain Somatic pain Cutaneous pain Neuropathic pain
Visceral pain The client is experiencing visceral pain, which is associated with disease or injury. It is sometimes referred or poorly localized as it is not experienced in the exact site where an organ is located. In cutaneous pain, the discomfort originates at the skin level, and is a commonly experienced sensation resulting from some form of trauma. Somatic pain develops from injury to structures such as muscles, tendons, and joints. Neuropathic pain is experienced days, weeks, or even months after the source of the pain has been treated and resolved.
Mark is a 20-year-old college student who has been experiencing increasingly sharp pain in the right, lower quadrant of his abdomen over the last 12 hours. A visit to the emergency department and subsequent diagnostic testing have resulted in a diagnosis of appendicitis. What category of pain is Mark most likely experiencing? Cutaneous pain Somatic pain Visceral pain Referred pain
Visceral pain Visceral pain occurs when organs stretch abnormally and become distended, ischemic, or inflamed. Appendicitis is characterized by inflammation of the vermiform appendix. Cutaneous pain is superficial and somatic pain is more commonly associated with tendons, ligaments, and bones. Referred pain is perceived distant from its point of origin, but this client's pain is sensed near the location of his appendix.
Acute pain can be differentiated from chronic pain because acute pain always scores more on the visual analog scale than chronic pain. acute pain is not treated and left to subside on its own, whereas chronic pain is referred for treatment. acute pain occurs only in persons aged less than 45 years, whereas chronic pain occurs in persons aged 46 or above. acute pain is associated with a recent onset of illness or injury with a duration of less than 6 months, whereas chronic pain persists longer than 6 months.
acute pain is associated with a recent onset of illness or injury with a duration of less than 6 months, whereas chronic pain persists longer than 6 months. Acute pain is usually associated with a recent injury or illness and lasts less than 6 months.
When assessing the client for pain, the nurse should assess for the presence of physiologic indicators (such as diaphoresis, tachycardia, etc.), then believe the client. assess for underlying causes of pain, then believe the client. believe the client when he or she claims to be in pain. doubt the client when he or she describes the pain.
believe the client when he or she claims to be in pain. "Pain is whatever the person says it is." It is important to remember this definition when assessing and treating pain.
A client describes pain in the soles of both feet as constantly burning. Which type of pain should the nurse suspect this client is experiencing? referred somatic neuropathic visceral
neuropathic Pain resulting from direct injury to the peripheral or central nervous system is termed neuropathic. Over time, neuropathic pain may become independent of the inciting injury and be described as burning. Somatic pain originates from skin, muscles, bones, and joints and is usually described as sharp. Referred pain is pain felt in a body area, away from the pain source. Visceral pain originates from abdominal organs and is usually described as cramping or gnawing.