Which of the following is a sign of acute pain?

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Acute pain is marked by a sudden onset tied to an identifiable cause, like a cut, fracture, or surgery, acting as the body's alarm system to signal harm. It's typically sharp and resolves as the injury heals, distinguishing it from chronic pain. Choice A, gradual onset over months, describes chronic pain's slow development, not acute pain's immediacy. Choice C, persistent dull ache, aligns more with chronic pain, which lingers and varies in intensity, unlike acute pain's acute, often intense nature. Choice D, no response to treatment, doesn't fitacute pain usually responds to interventions like analgesics or rest, while chronic pain may resist resolution. Choice B is correct, capturing acute pain's suddenness and clear origin, a key distinction nurses use to assess and manage it effectively, tailoring interventions to its short-term, cause-specific profile.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is to promote comfort, as morphine in palliative care manages severe pain or dyspnea, enhancing quality of life when curing isn't the goal. It targets opioid receptors to dull pain perception, easing suffering in terminal illness. Choice A, curing the illness, is incorrectpalliative care focuses on symptom relief, not cure, accepting disease progression. Choice B, improving alertness, contradicts morphine's sedative effect; it may calm agitation but typically drowses, not sharpens focus. Choice D, increasing appetite, isn't morphine's purposepain relief might indirectly help eating, but it's not primary. Choice C is correct, reflecting palliative care's ethosnurses explain morphine's role in comfort, reassuring families it's about dignity and peace, not hastening death, aligning with holistic end-of-life support.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The nurse recognizes that nonpharmacological pain relief measures have no side effects as their major advantage, unlike drugs risking nausea, addiction, or sedation. Methods like heat or relaxation rely on natural responses (e.g., circulation, calming), avoiding chemical risks. Choice A, replacing medications, isn't truethey complement, not supplant, drugs, especially for severe pain. Choice C, being more effective, variesnonpharmacological methods aid mild pain or adjunctively but rarely outdo opioids for intensity. Choice D, working immediately, isn't universal; effects (e.g., meditation) build slower than analgesics. Choice B is correct, highlighting safetynurses leverage this for clients wary of drugs or with comorbidities, integrating techniques like imagery or massage to enhance comfort without adding physiological burden, a key asset in holistic care.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is chronic pain itself, as persistent pain often causes depression by disrupting neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin), fostering hopelessness, and limiting life enjoyment. This bidirectional linkpain worsening mood, mood amplifying painis well-established. Choice A, lack of activity, contributes but isn't primary; pain drives inactivity, not vice versa. Choice C, poor nutrition, may affect health but lacks direct evidence tying it to depression herepain's emotional toll is stronger. Choice D, medication side effects, like opioid-induced sedation, can depress mood, but the question implies pain's role, not treatment. Choice B is correct, guiding nurses to explain this connection, validating the spouse's observation, and suggesting integrated care (e.g., antidepressants, therapy) to break the pain-depression cycle, improving the client's overall well-being.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is the effect on the brain, as narcotic analgesics (opioids) like morphine stimulate the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the medulla, triggering nauseaa central nervous system side effect, not just digestive. This explains its prevalence across opioid types. Choice A, stomach irritation, contributes (e.g., oral opioids), but nausea often persists with IV delivery, pointing to brain involvement over local upset. Choice C, allergic reaction, is unlikelynausea is a common side effect, not a rare hypersensitivity sign like rash. Choice D, rapid absorption, affects onset, not nausea directly; slow-release forms still cause it. Choice B is correct, enabling nurses to explain this CNS effect, reassuring clients it's typical, and offering antiemetics (e.g., ondansetron) to manage it, ensuring narcotic use continues for pain relief without undue distress.