Deck 15: Pain and Comfort

Question 1

Which conditions are likely to cause an older adult chronic pain?

A) Hip replacement
B) Bone metastasis
C) Hypoproteinemia
D) Migraine headache
E) Compression fracture
F)Postherpetic neuralgia

Answer 1

Bone metastasis
Compression fracture
Postherpetic neuralgia

Question 2

An older adult admitted for back surgery asks for opioid pain medication.The nurse knows the patient asks for pain medication 15 minutes before it is due.Which recommendation should the nurse implement?

A) Validate the pain with other assessment data.
B) Administer the pain medication as requested by the patient.
C) Tell the patient that it is too soon for pain medication.
D) Teach the patient alternative comfort measures.

Answer 2

Administer the pain medication as requested by the patient.

Question 3

An older Hispanic man states that he is not having pain,but he had knee replacement surgery 2 days ago.Which is the best pain assessment tool as recommended by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (HIGN)from "Try This" for the nurse to apply for this man?

A) Numeric Rating Scale
B) Verbal Descriptor Scale
C) Iowa Pain Thermometer
D) Faces Pain Scale-revised (FPS-R)

Answer 3

Faces Pain Scale-revised (FPS-R)

Question 4

The older adult is at a higher risk for acute psychological pain than a younger adult because older adults:

A) Have many illnesses.
B) Possess fewer assets.
C) Experience more loss.
D) Live with impairments.

Question 5

The nurse uses comfort measures to enhance an older adult's pharmacological pain management.Which of the following would be most helpful for the nurse to use to identify the relationships between the comfort measures,activity,and pharmacotherapy,and the older adult's pain level?

A) Older adult's self-report
B) Older adult's pain diary
C) FPS-R
D) Pain medication frequency

Question 6

An older man who had a gastric resection states that he wants to ambulate but the osteoarthritis (OA)in his knees causes too much pain.Which intervention should the nurse implement to increase the amount of walking this man can perform?

A) Encourage the patient to keep his leg elevated.
B) Instruct him to rest until the pain disappears.
C) Suggest taking pain medication before walking.
D) Collaborate with the health care provider to make a walker available.

Question 7

The safest opioid analgesic choice for an older patient who has severe acute pain is which of the following?

A) Meperidine (Demerol)
B) Pentazocine (Talwin)
C) Morphine sulfate (Morphine)
D) Safe opioids do not exist.

Question 8

Which pain sensation is associated with nociceptive pain?

A) Tissue inflammation
B) Postherpetic
C) Radiculopathies
D) Nerve root irritation

Question 9

An older woman had hip replacement surgery 1 day ago,and the nurse thinks that the woman also has dementia.Which patient assessment does the nurse use to determine whether this woman is experiencing pain?

A) Holds abdomen tightly.
B) Has stable vital signs.
C) Is not verbalizing.
D) Moves during sleep.

Question 10

Which of the following pain sensation(s)is(are)associated with neuropathic pain?

A) Infection
B) Obstruction
C) Inflammation
D) Postamputation

Question 11

The nurse administers an opioid analgesic to an older male postoperative patient in the surgical unit.Which is the most important intervention for the nurse to implement before leaving the patient's room?

A) Place side rails up x 4.
B) Position the patient comfortably.
C) Offer toileting and a sip of water.
D) Instruct him to ask for help before getting up.

Question 12

Which type of pain tends to occur persistently along a well-defined path in a region of the body?

A) Unrelenting pain
B) Osteoarthritic pain
C) Postoperative pain
D) Postherpetic pain

Question 13

The nurse admits an older man who had abdominal surgery.Admission vital signs are heart rate (pulse)(P),73 beats per minute (bpm); respiration rate (R),20 breaths per minute; blood pressure (BP),136/84 mm Hg.He is receiving intravenous (IV)fluids but has not requested pain medication since surgery.Seven hours later,his vital signs are P,98 bpm; R,26 breaths per minute; and BP,164/90 mm Hg; and he denies pain.Which intervention should the nurse implement?

A) Administer an opioid medication by IV route.
B) Check the surgical dressing for bleeding.
C) Report the vital signs to the health care provider.
D) Ask if he has about discomfort at the surgical site or any other location.

Question 14

Which of the following statement(s)is(are)true about pain in older adults?

A) Pain is not a normal aging process.
B) Pain sensitivity decreases with age.
C) If patients do not complain, they do not have pain.
D) Opioid analgesics are often the best treatment for persistent pain.

Question 15

Compared with acute pain,which of the following statements is true of persistent pain?

A) Leads to significantly altered vital signs.
B) Is usually described as a burning pain.
C) Is generally gone within 4 months.
D) Can bring about long term changes in lifestyle.

Question 16

Each of the following is a nonpharmacological intervention for pain except which one?

A) Acupuncture treatments
B) Adjuvant therapy
C) Lidocaine patch
D) Capsaicin

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true about analgesic medications for older adults?

A) Opioids are less effective in older patients than in younger patients.
B) Stool softeners and laxatives should be used with opioids.
C) Over-the-counter NSAIDs are generally harmless.
D) The dose limit for acetaminophen is difficult to reach for older adults.