Fundamentals of Nursing Q 298
Which term would the nurse use to document pain at one site that is perceived in another site?
A. Referred pain
B. Phantom pain
C. Intractable pain
D. Aftermath of pain
Correct Answer: A. Referred pain
Referred pain is pain occurring at one site that is perceived in another site. Referred pain follows dermatome and nerve root patterns. Referred pain is pain perceived at a location other than the site of the painful stimulus/ origin. It is the result of a network of interconnecting sensory nerves that supply many different tissues. When there is an injury at one site in the network it is possible that when the signal is interpreted in the brain signals are experienced in the surrounding nervous tissue.
Option B: Phantom pain refers to pain in a part of the body that is no longer there, such as in amputation. Phantom pain is pain that feels like it’s coming from a body part that’s no longer there. Doctors once believed this post-amputation phenomenon was a psychological problem, but experts now recognize that these real sensations originate in the spinal cord and brain.
Option C: Intractable pain refers to moderate to severe pain that cannot be relieved by any known treatment. Intractable pain refers to a type of pain that can’t be controlled with standard medical care. Intractable essentially means difficult to treat or manage. This type of pain isn’t curable, so the focus of treatment is to reduce the discomfort.
Option D: Aftermath of pain, a phase of the pain experience and the most neglected phase address the client’s response to the pain experience. The complexity of pain physiology makes some pains more difficult to manage than others. Acute postoperative pain normally responds well to analgesia, but this should be complemented by strategies such as comfortable positioning, distraction, TENS, and reassurance.