ATI LPN
Timby's Introductory Medical-Surgical Nursing Thirteenth, North American Edition
Chapter 11 : Pain Management Questions
Question 1 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 2 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 3 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 4 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.
Question 5 of 5
An adult with severe cognitive impairment has had a surgical procedure, and the nurse is having a difficult time assessing the level of pain the client is having postoperatively. What method can the nurse use to obtain data about the client's pain?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Cognitively impaired older adults may be unable to report pain; comparison of current behavior with previous behavior patterns and reports from caregivers can help in assessing pain in these clients. Pain may manifest as agitation; aggression; withdrawal; or changes in behavior, positioning, or sleep patterns. The other methods would not be appropriate for a cognitively impaired client. Asking the client loudly will not increase the client's understanding.