and Answers
Origin: Chapter 14, 1
1. The nurse is teaching the student nurse the physiology involved in pain
transmission. Which statements accurately describes a physiologic event
in the nervous system related to pain transmission? Select all that apply.
A) Thermal stimulation may involve the release of mediators, such as
histamine,
prostaglandins, leukotrienes, or bradykinin.
B) When nociceptors are activated by noxious stimuli, the stimuli are
converted to electrical impulses that are relayed to the spinal cord
and brain.
C) Myelinated A-delta fibers are large fibers that conduct the impulse at
very rapid
rates; unmyelinated small C fibers transmit the impulse slowly.
D) Once in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the nerve fibers divide and
then cross to the opposite side and rise upward to the thalamus.
E) The point at which the person first feels the highest intensity of the
painful stimulus
is termed the pain threshold.
F) Peripheral sensitization allows the nerve fibers to react to a stimulus
that is of lower intensity than would be needed to cause pain.
Ans: B, C, D, F
Feedback:
When nociceptors are activated by noxious stimuli, the stimuli are converted
to electrical impulses that are relayed along the peripheral nerves to the
spinal cord and brain.
Myelinated A-delta fibers are large fibers that conduct the impulse at very
rapid rates; unmyelinated small C fibers transmit the impulse slowly. Once
in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the nerve fibers divide and then cross
to the opposite side and rise upward to the thalamus. Peripheral
sensitization allows the nerve fibers to react to a stimulus that is of lower
intensity than would be needed to cause pain. Chemical stimulation may
involve the release of mediators, such as histamine, prostaglandins,
leukotrienes, or bradykinin.
The point at which the person first feels the lowest intensity of the painful
stimulus is termed the pain threshold.
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, Origin: Chapter 14, 2
2. The nurse is managing children who have chronic diseases in a
neighborhood clinic. What are some examples of chronic conditions?
Select all that apply.
A) Diabetes mellitus
B) Myocardial infarction
C) Rheumatoid arthritis
D) Compound fracture
E) Acute asthma
F) Bronchopneumonia
Ans: A, C, E
Feedback:
Chronic pain is defined as pain that continues past the expected point of
healing for injured tissue. Diabetes, arthritis, and asthma are examples of
chronic pain. Acute pain is
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, defined as pain that is associated with a rapid onset of varying intensity. It
usually indicates tissue damage and resolves with healing of the injury.
Examples include heart attack, fractures, and bronchopneumonia.
Origin: Chapter 14, 3
3. The nurse is caring for a child who is recovering from an
appendectomy. What is the appropriate term for the pain this child is
experiencing?
A) Nociceptive pain
B) Neuropathic pain
C) Chronic pain
D) Superficial somatic pain
Ans: A
Feedback:
Nociceptive pain reflects pain due to noxious stimuli that damages normal
tissues or has the potential to do so if the pain is prolonged. Nociceptive
pain ranges from sharp or burning; to dull, aching, or cramping; to deep
aching or sharp stabbing. Examples of conditions that result in nociceptive
pain include chemical burns, sunburn, cuts, appendicitis, and bladder
distention. Neuropathic pain is pain due to malfunctioning of the peripheral
or central nervous system. Chronic pain is defined as pain that continues
past the expected point of healing for injured tissue. Superficial somatic
pain, often called cutaneous pain, involves stimulation of nociceptors in the
skin, subcutaneous tissue, or mucous membranes.
Origin: Chapter 14, 4
4. The nurse is conducting an assessment of a high school track athlete. The
client tells the nurse he is experiencing pain along his outer thigh. He
describes it as tight, achy, and tender, particularly after he runs. The nurse
understands that he is most likely experiencing what kind of pain?
A) Cutaneous
B) Neuropathic
C) Visceral
D) Deep somatic
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