Which of the following best describes acute pain?

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Acute pain is characterized by a sudden onset and a relatively short duration, typically linked to a specific injury or event, such as surgery or trauma. It serves as a warning signal to the body and usually resolves as the underlying cause heals. Choice A describes chronic pain, which persists beyond six months and often lacks a clear resolution timeline. Choice C suggests a dull, persistent quality, which aligns more with chronic pain rather than the sharp, immediate nature of acute pain. Choice D, pain with no identifiable cause, doesn't fit acute pain, as it's usually traceable to an event or injury. Choice B accurately reflects acute pain's suddenness and brevity, distinguishing it from other pain types in clinical practice.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Difficulty falling asleep indicates a sleep-rest disorder, such as insomnia, where initiating or maintaining sleep is impaired, leading to fatigue and reduced function. This contrasts with normal rest, where sleep comes easily and restores energy. Choice A, feeling refreshed after sleep, suggests healthy sleep, not a disorder. Choice C, increased energy in the morning, also points to restorative sleep, the opposite of a disorder's impact. Choice D, consistent 8-hour sleep, implies a regular, sufficient pattern, not a problemdisorders involve disrupted quality or quantity despite time spent. Choice B is correct, highlighting a common symptom nurses assess, prompting interventions like sleep hygiene education or addressing stressors, critical for patient recovery and well-being.

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 depression in a client with severe chronic pain, as persistent pain often leads to emotional distress, hopelessness, and isolation, disrupting serotonin and mood regulation. It's a common comorbidity, impacting quality of life. Choice A, increased social activity, is unlikelypain limits engagement, fostering withdrawal, not extroversion. Choice C, excessive sleeping, may occur as escape or from fatigue, but depression's broader emotional toll (e.g., sadness, anhedonia) is more consistent and primary. Choice D, euphoria, contradicts pain's burdenclients feel despair, not joy, unless medicated heavily, which isn't implied. Choice B is correct, aligning with chronic pain's psychological toll nurses assess, prompting interventions like counseling or antidepressants alongside pain management to address both mind and body, mitigating depression's amplifying effect on suffering.

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.