ATI LPN
Timby's Introductory Medical-Surgical Nursing Thirteenth, North American Edition
Chapter 11 : Pain Management Questions
Question 1 of 5
A client, who had an above the knee amputation of the left leg related to peripheral vascular disease from uncontrolled diabetes, reports pain in the left lower extremity. What type of pain is the client experiencing?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An example of neuropathic pain is phantom limb pain or phantom limb sensation, in which individuals with an amputated arm or leg perceive that the limb still exists and that sensation such as burning, itching, and deep pain are located in tissues that have been surgically removed. Chronic pain sufferers may have periods of acute pain, which is referred to as breakthrough pain. Visceral pain arises from internal organs such as the heart, kidneys, and intestine that are diseased or injured. Referred pain is a term used to describe discomfort that is perceived in a general area of the body but not in the exact site where an organ is anatomically located.
Question 2 of 5
A client with appendicitis has had an appendectomy. After surgery, what type of pain does the nurse anticipate the client will have?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Acute pain is a discomfort that has a short duration (from a few seconds to less than 6 months). It is associated with tissue trauma, including surgery, or some other recent identifiable etiology. The characteristics of chronic pain, discomfort that lasts longer than 6 months, are almost totally opposite from those of acute pain. An example of neuropathic pain is phantom limb pain or phantom limb sensation, in which individuals with an amputated arm or leg perceive that the limb still exists and that sensation such as burning, itching, and deep pain are located in tissues that have been surgically removed. Referred pain is a term used to describe discomfort that is perceived in a general area of the body, but not in the exact site where an organ is anatomically located.
Question 3 of 5
A client comes to the outpatient clinic to receive cortisone injections in the neck for pain that has been occurring consistently for 8 months. What type of pain is this client experiencing?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The characteristics of chronic pain, discomfort that lasts longer than 6 months, are almost totally opposite from those of acute pain. Referred pain is a term used to describe discomfort that is perceived in a general area of the body but not in the exact site where an organ is anatomically located. An example of neuropathic pain is phantom limb pain or phantom limb sensation, in which individuals with an amputated arm or leg perceive that the limb still exists and that sensation such as burning, itching, and deep pain are located in tissues that have been surgically removed. Acute pain is a discomfort that has a short duration (from a few seconds to less than 6 months). It is associated with tissue trauma, including surgery, or some other recent identifiable etiology.
Question 4 of 5
A male client has been in pain for 12 hours related to the presence of kidney stones and states, 'I can't take this pain any longer. It is getting worse by the minute.' What does the nurse understand about the client's ability to tolerate pain?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Pain tolerance is the amount of pain a person endures once the threshold has been reached. The ability to endure a great deal of pain indicates a high pain tolerance; a low pain tolerance refers to very little ability to endure pain. Various factors can affect pain tolerance. For example, fatigue diminishes the ability to cope with pain and heightens the perception of pain. There are gender differences in pain tolerance. Men tend to report lower pain intensity and demonstrate higher pain tolerance; women tend to rate their pain at higher levels and report pain in more body regions than men.
Question 5 of 5
The LPN has been assigned to obtain vital signs on several clients. While obtaining vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate, what other vital sign should the nurse be sure to include in the documentation?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The American Pain Society has proposed that pain assessment should be considered the fifth vital sign. The nurse should check and document the client's pain when assessing the client's temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure. Peripheral pulses, lung sounds, and bowel sounds are important parts of a head-to-toe assessment but are not included in the collection of vital signs.