Pain

Question 1

A 62-year-old male has fallen while trimming tree branches sustaining tissue injury. He describes his condition as an aching, throbbing back. This is characteristic of what type of pain?

Answer 1

Nociceptive pain

Nociceptive pain refers to the normal functioning of physiological systems that leads to the
perception of noxious stimuli (tissue injury) as being painful

Question 2

A 19-year-old male has sustained a transection of C-7 in a motor vehicle crash rendering him
a quadriplegic. He describes his pain as burning, sharp, and shooting. What type of pain is this patient describing?

Answer 2

Neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain results from the abnormal processing of sensory input by the nervous system
as a result of damage to the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves. Simply put, neuropathic
pain is pathologic. Examples of neuropathic pain include postherpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy, phantom pain, and post stroke pain syndrome.

Question 3

An elderly Chinese woman is interested in biologically based therapies to relieve
osteoarthritis (OA) pain. You are preparing a plan of care for her OA. Options most conducive
to her expressed wishes may include which actions or activities?

Answer 3

Herbs, vitamins, and tai chi

Nonpharmacologic strategies encompass a wide variety of nondrug treatments that may
contribute to comfort and pain relief

Question 4

Controlling pain is important to promoting wellness. Unrelieved pain has been associated with
complication?

Answer 4

Prolonged stress response and a cascade of harmful effects system-wide

Question 5

A 70-year-old retired nurse is interested in nondrug, mind-body therapies, self-management,
and alternative strategies to deal with joint discomfort from rheumatoid arthritis. What options
should you consider in her plan of care considering her expressed wishes

Answer 5

Mind-body therapies such as music therapy, distraction techniques, meditation, prayer, hypnosis, guided imagery, relaxation techniques, and pet therapy

Question 6

Mind-body therapies such as music therapy, distraction techniques, meditation,
prayer, hypnosis, guided imagery, relaxation techniques, and pet therapy

Answer 6

IV Dilaudid q 4 hours prn, hydrocodone 5/500 PO q 6 hours prn, and acetaminophen

Question 7

An 80-year-old male patient is in the intensive care unit has suffered a fractured femur. You are making rounds and notice he is somnolent, with no response to verbal or physical stimulation. He has been on round the clock opioid doses q 4 hours. What is the nurse’s first
action?

Answer 7

Discontinue the opioids on the medication administration record.

After establishing unresponsiveness, the next action is to call a Rapid Response. The patient is not able to subjectively describe pain if unresponsive.