To assess the quality of an adult client’s pain, which approach should the nurse use?
Observe body language and movement
Ask the client to describe the pain
Identify effective pain relief measures
Provide a numeric pain scale
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A reason: Observing body language and movement provides clues to pain but is subjective and incomplete. Clients may mask pain, and movements vary. Verbal description captures quality, like burning or stabbing, guiding specific interventions, making this approach less comprehensive for pain assessment.
Choice B reason: Asking the client to describe the pain is best, as it captures quality, location, and characteristics (e.g., sharp, dull), essential for diagnosing etiology and tailoring treatment. Subjective verbal input provides detailed data, aligning with pain management guidelines, making this the most effective approach.
Choice C reason: Identifying pain relief measures is part of management, not assessment. Understanding pain quality via description informs which measures are effective, and this step follows assessment, making it premature and less focused on capturing the pain’s nature.
Choice D reason: A numeric pain scale quantifies intensity but not quality, missing details like burning or throbbing, which guide diagnosis. Descriptive verbal input provides a fuller picture, making the scale useful but secondary to asking for a detailed pain description.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Switching to decaffeinated coffee and tea reduces acid stimulation, but it does not address the misconception about dairy coating ulcers. Dairy increases acid production, worsening ulcers, making this action less critical than correcting the client’s harmful dietary plan.
Choice B reason: Frequent small meals reduce acid load, aiding ulcer management, but the client’s dairy plan increases acid secretion, negating benefits. Correcting the dairy misconception is more urgent, as it directly worsens the ulcer, making this suggestion secondary.
Choice C reason: Reviewing the need to avoid milk and cream is best, as dairy stimulates gastric acid via gastrin release, worsening duodenal ulcers. The client’s plan to use dairy for coating is incorrect, and correcting this prevents exacerbation, aligning with evidence-based ulcer management.
Choice D reason: Reinforcing dairy use by listing snacks is harmful, as milk and cream increase acid production, aggravating ulcers. This action perpetuates the client’s misconception, worsening the condition, making it incorrect compared to correcting the dietary error.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: Pancreatitis is indicated by elevated amylase and lipase, abdominal pain radiating to the back, vomiting, and fever. Cholecystectomy can trigger pancreatic inflammation due to bile duct manipulation or gallstone migration, causing enzyme leakage, making this the condition to observe for based on the findings.
Choice B reason: Peritonitis causes diffuse abdominal pain and fever but not typically elevated pancreatic enzymes. Post-cholecystectomy, localized pain and specific amylase/lipase elevation point to pancreatitis, not peritoneal infection, making this condition less likely based on the client’s presentation.
Choice C reason: Cholangitis involves bile duct infection, causing jaundice and right-upper-quadrant pain, but not elevated amylase/lipase. The client’s pancreatic enzyme elevation and back-radiating pain align with pancreatitis, not bile duct inflammation, making this condition incorrect for the observed findings.
Choice D reason: Ileus causes vomiting and abdominal distension but not elevated pancreatic enzymes or back-radiating pain. Pancreatitis better explains the client’s enzyme levels, pain pattern, and fever post-cholecystectomy, as ileus lacks specific pancreatic involvement, making this condition unlikely.
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