C HAPTER 08: P AIN AND P AIN
M ANAGEMENT
Urden: Critical Care Nursing, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which statement accuratel y describes the duration of acute pain?
a. Acute pain is associa ted with the injury to the joints and lasts about
9 months.
b. Acute pain is associated with the healing process and should not
exceed 6 months.
c. Acute pain is persistent pain of more than 6 months after the
healing process.
d. Acute pain is associated with damag e to the nervous system and is
of infinite duration.
ANS: B
Acute pain has a short duration, and it usuall y corresponds to the
healing process (30 days) but should not exceed 6 months. It implies
tissue damage that is usuall y from an identifiable cause. If
undertreated, acute pain may bring a prolonged stress response and
lead to permanent damage to the patient’s nervous system. In such
instances, acute pain can become chronic.
, PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding REF: p.
114 OBJ: Nursing Proces s Step: Intervention TOP:
Pain MSC: NC LEX: Physiologic Integrit y
2. A patient complains of pain at his incision site. The nurse is aware that
four processes are involved in nociception. In what order do the processes
occur?
a. Transmission, perception, modul ation, and transduction
b. Perception, modulation, transduction, and transmission
c. Modulation, transduction, transmission, and perception
d. Transduction, transmission, perception, and modulation
ANS: D
Four processes are involved in nociception: transduction, tr ansmission,
perception, and modulation.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding REF: p.
115 | Figure 8-2 OBJ: Nursing Process Step: Intervention
TOP: Pain MSC: NC LEX: Physiologic Integrit y
3. Why use a specific pain intensit y scale in the critical care unit?
a. It eliminates the subjective component from the assessment.
b. It focuses on the objective component of the assessment.
c. It provides consistency of assessment and management.
d. It provides a way to interpret physiologic indicators.
ANS: C
, Many critical care units use a specific pain intensit y scale because a
single tool provides consistency of assessment, management, and
documentation. A pain intensit y scale is useful in the critical care
environment. Asking the patient to grade his or her pain on a scale o f 0
to 10 is a consistent method and aids the nurse in objectifying the
subjective nature of the patient’s pain. However, the patient’s tool
preference should be considered.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Evaluating REF: p. 120 |
Figure 8-5 OBJ: Nursing Process Step: Assessment TOP:
Pain MSC: NC LEX: Safe and Effective Care Environment
4. The patient is sedated and breathing with the use of mechanical
ventilation. The patient is unable to communicate any aspects of his pain
to the nurse. What tool should the n urse use to assess the patient’s pain?
a. FLACC
b. Wong-Baker FACES
c. BIS
d. BPS
ANS: D
The BPS and the CPOT are supported by experts in critical care and are
suggested for use in medical, postoperative, and nonbrain trauma
criticall y ill adults unable to self -report in the clinical guidelines of
the Societ y of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). FLACC is a pediatric
pain assessment tool. The Wong -Baker FACES tool requires the patient
to associate a level of pain to a facial representation. BIS is as an
objective measure o f sedation levels during neuromuscular blockade in
the critical care unit.
M ANAGEMENT
Urden: Critical Care Nursing, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which statement accuratel y describes the duration of acute pain?
a. Acute pain is associa ted with the injury to the joints and lasts about
9 months.
b. Acute pain is associated with the healing process and should not
exceed 6 months.
c. Acute pain is persistent pain of more than 6 months after the
healing process.
d. Acute pain is associated with damag e to the nervous system and is
of infinite duration.
ANS: B
Acute pain has a short duration, and it usuall y corresponds to the
healing process (30 days) but should not exceed 6 months. It implies
tissue damage that is usuall y from an identifiable cause. If
undertreated, acute pain may bring a prolonged stress response and
lead to permanent damage to the patient’s nervous system. In such
instances, acute pain can become chronic.
, PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding REF: p.
114 OBJ: Nursing Proces s Step: Intervention TOP:
Pain MSC: NC LEX: Physiologic Integrit y
2. A patient complains of pain at his incision site. The nurse is aware that
four processes are involved in nociception. In what order do the processes
occur?
a. Transmission, perception, modul ation, and transduction
b. Perception, modulation, transduction, and transmission
c. Modulation, transduction, transmission, and perception
d. Transduction, transmission, perception, and modulation
ANS: D
Four processes are involved in nociception: transduction, tr ansmission,
perception, and modulation.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding REF: p.
115 | Figure 8-2 OBJ: Nursing Process Step: Intervention
TOP: Pain MSC: NC LEX: Physiologic Integrit y
3. Why use a specific pain intensit y scale in the critical care unit?
a. It eliminates the subjective component from the assessment.
b. It focuses on the objective component of the assessment.
c. It provides consistency of assessment and management.
d. It provides a way to interpret physiologic indicators.
ANS: C
, Many critical care units use a specific pain intensit y scale because a
single tool provides consistency of assessment, management, and
documentation. A pain intensit y scale is useful in the critical care
environment. Asking the patient to grade his or her pain on a scale o f 0
to 10 is a consistent method and aids the nurse in objectifying the
subjective nature of the patient’s pain. However, the patient’s tool
preference should be considered.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Evaluating REF: p. 120 |
Figure 8-5 OBJ: Nursing Process Step: Assessment TOP:
Pain MSC: NC LEX: Safe and Effective Care Environment
4. The patient is sedated and breathing with the use of mechanical
ventilation. The patient is unable to communicate any aspects of his pain
to the nurse. What tool should the n urse use to assess the patient’s pain?
a. FLACC
b. Wong-Baker FACES
c. BIS
d. BPS
ANS: D
The BPS and the CPOT are supported by experts in critical care and are
suggested for use in medical, postoperative, and nonbrain trauma
criticall y ill adults unable to self -report in the clinical guidelines of
the Societ y of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). FLACC is a pediatric
pain assessment tool. The Wong -Baker FACES tool requires the patient
to associate a level of pain to a facial representation. BIS is as an
objective measure o f sedation levels during neuromuscular blockade in
the critical care unit.
