A client asks the nurse how pain impulses are transmitted to the brain. What would be the basis for the nurse's response?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The basis for the nurse's response is nerve impulses, as pain transmission involves nociceptors detecting stimuli (e.g., injury), converting them into electrical signals that travel via peripheral nerves to the spinal cord and brain for perception. This process, nociception, underlies pain experience. Choice A, mechanical pressure, may initiate pain (e.g., a pinch), but it's not how impulses reach the brainnerves carry the signal. Choice B, chemical changes, like inflammation releasing prostaglandins, sensitize nociceptors, but transmission itself is neural, not chemical. Choice D, temperature changes, can trigger pain (e.g., burns), but again, nerve impulses relay it centrally. Choice C is correct, providing a clear, accurate explanation nurses use to educate clients, demystifying pain's journey and supporting discussions on blocking those impulses with treatments like analgesics or nerve blocks.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The nurse expects constipation from an opioid analgesic, as opioids slow gastrointestinal motility by binding to mu receptors in the gut, reducing peristalsisa common, dose-related side effect. Proactive management (e.g., laxatives) is standard. Choice A, increased appetite, is unlikelyopioids may cause nausea, suppressing hunger, not boosting it. Choice C, fever, isn't typical; opioids don't induce temperature spikes unless allergic reactions occur, which is rare. Choice D, diarrhea, contradicts opioids' constipating effectantidiarrheals mimic this action. Choice B is correct, reflecting a frequent issue nurses monitor, educating clients on hydration, diet, or stool softeners to mitigate discomfort, ensuring opioid benefits (pain relief) outweigh this manageable drawback in acute or chronic use.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The nurse understands the primary reason for using adjuvant medications with opioid analgesics is to reduce the opioid dose, as adjuvants (e.g., gabapentin for neuropathy, NSAIDs for inflammation) target specific pain types, enhancing relief and allowing lower opioid amounts. This minimizes risks like dependence or respiratory depression. Choice B, eliminate side effects, is inaccurateadjuvants add their own (e.g., sedation), not erase opioid ones. Choice C, increase sedation, may occur (e.g., with antidepressants), but it's not the goalpain control is. Choice D, prevent addiction, isn't direct; lower doses reduce risk, but adjuvants address efficacy, not addiction itself. Choice A is correct, reflecting multimodal pain strategies nurses employ, optimizing therapy, and tailoring regimens to balance efficacy and safety in chronic or complex pain cases.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is reduced pain tolerance, as fatigue lowers the brain's ability to modulate pain signals, heightening perceptionexhaustion depletes coping reserves, making pain feel worse without changing its source. This is a psychological-physiological link. Choice B, increased inflammation, isn't fatigue-driven; inflammation ties to disease, not tiredness alone. Choice C, poor circulation, may worsen some pain (e.g., ischemia), but fatigue's effect is broader, not vascular-specific. Choice D, muscle tension, could contribute, but fatigue typically relaxes muscles, not tenses themtolerance is key. Choice A is correct, guiding nurses to explain this perception shift, suggesting rest or timed analgesics to bolster tolerance, helping clients manage pain's amplified feel when tired.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is to reduce discomfort, as pain medication before dressing changes preempts pain from tissue manipulation, especially in wounds (e.g., burns), ensuring the procedure is tolerable and effective. Timing (e.g., 30 minutes prior) aligns peak relief with activity. Choice A, prevent infection, is unrelatedanalgesics don't sterilize; that's antiseptics' role. Choice C, speed healing, isn't directpain control aids comfort, not tissue repair rates. Choice D, increase sedation, may occur but isn't the goalrelief, not sleep, drives dosing. Choice B is correct, explaining preemptive analgesianurses use this to minimize procedural pain, enhancing client cooperation and healing by preventing distress spikes during sensitive interventions like dressing changes.