NURS 234 Final Exam Questions And 100% Correct Answers
Pain - ANSWER An uncomfortable sensory and emotional experience associated with
actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage
Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he says it does
The patient report is the most reliable indicator of pain
Comfort - ANSWER A state of having basic human needs met, allowing for ease, relief,
and transcendence
Acute pain - ANSWER More temporary- anywhere from a few seconds to three months
Chronic pain - ANSWER Persistent longer than 3 months
Combination pain - ANSWER Acute and chronic pan
Nociceptive pain - ANSWER Sharp, dull, achy, crampy
Somatic Pain - ANSWER More superficial, can pinpoint exactly what hurts, skin, muscle,
bone
Visceral pain - ANSWER More internal, more vague, not easily localized
Referred Pain - ANSWER Feel pain in left arm, jaw, and left shoulder, but the actual pain
is in the heart, happens because different ares of the body share the same dermatomes
Neuropathic pain - ANSWER Burning, tingling, numbness
,Centrally Generated Pain - ANSWER Usually a problem with the brain or spinal cord
itself, phantom limb pain
Peripherally Generated Pain - ANSWER Injury specific to peripheral nerves from trauma
or disease, peripheral neuropathy from diabetes
Mixed Pain Syndrome - ANSWER Not as easily categorized, multiple underlying or poorly
understood mechanisms, can't find the reason for pain, idiopathic= unknown cause,
fibromyalgia
What is the subjective assessment for pain? - ANSWER What the patient says
Individuals at risk for pain - ANSWER Acute or traumatic injury- burns, car accidents
Medical procedures- more invasive they are the more pain is suspected, intraoperative
and postoperative expected pain
Chronic conditions- bone cancer
Populations at risk for pain - ANSWER Infants- looking for external cues crying
Children- use parents or caregivers to understand normal behavior and demeanor,
behavior and physiological cues
Adults and older adults
How to assess pain in adults and older adults ANSWER Pacing, if their mood if different,
agitation, grimacing, moaning, yelling, crying out, clenching, tension in face, decreased
appetite, decreased sleep, guarding, sudden resistance for help, may try to hide it
Why are adults and older adults more at risk for pain ANSWER Physical state, body
composition changes: muscle mass decreased, body fat increases, percentage of their
body water decreases, metabolism is slower, nutrition is more at risk, more chronic
conditions, multiple health conditions that may cause problems with each other, more
fatigued, dementia, just because some is old does not mean that they have pain
, How to assess pain in patients who cannot communicate- ANSWER Pacing, mood is
altered, agitation, grimacing, moaning, yelling, crying, clenching, tension, appetite is
decreased, sleep is decreased, guarding
Assessment tools for pain in comatose, dibbled, and dementia patients- ANSWER 0-10
pain scale
Visual face spectrum (are 4-7)
FLACC pain rating scale- know when it is appropriate to use it and know what to assess
Facial- grimacing, frown, withdraw, disinterest, quivering, clenched jaw
Legs- uneasy, restlessness, tense, kicking or legs drawn up
Crying- moaning or whimpering, occasional complaint, crying, screaming, sobs
Consolability
Consequences of untreated pain - ANSWER Endocrine/Metabolic Imbalance
Cardiovascular instability
Respiratory Dysfunction
Genitourinary Disturbances
Decreased Gastrointestinal motility
Musculoskeletal Disturbances
Neurological disturbances
Reduced Immune Competence
Prolonged Stress Response
Developmental issues
Endocrine/Metabolic Imbalance due to untreated pain- ANSWER Glucose
intolerance/releases as a stress response- hyperglycemia
Fluid overload