b.Ask the boy to draw a cartoon about the
color or shape of his pain.
c.Medicate the boy with analgesics to reduce
the anxiety of experiencing pain.
d.Distract the boy so he does not notice his
pain.
17.After sedating a patient, you assess that he is
frequently drowsy and drifts off during con-
versations. What number on the sedation
scale would best describe your patient’s seda-
tion level?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4ALTERNATE-FORMAT QUESTIONS
Multiple Response Questions
Circle the letters that correspond to the best
answers for each question.
1.Which of the following are characteristics of
acute pain? (Select all that apply.)
a.It is generally rapid in onset.
b.It generally lasts for 6 months or longer.
c.It varies in intensity from mild to severe.
d.It is protective in nature.
e.People with acute pain generally experience
periods of remission.
f.An example is the pain associated with
cancer.
2.Which of the following statements accurately
describe the nature of the pain experience?
(Select all that apply.)
a.Patients are able to describe chronic pain
because it is generally localized.
b.Approximately 75% of all patients with
cancer have adequate pain control.
c.Individuals with chronic pain may be
viewed, in general, by healthcare personnel
as hysterical personalities, malingerers, or
hypochondriacs.
d.Acute pain is often perceived as meaningless
and may lead to withdrawal and depression.
e.Pain that is resistant to therapy is referred
to as intractable.
f.Pain in people whose tissue injury is
nonprogressive or healed is termed chronic
nonmalignant pain.3.Which of the following statements accurately
describe the stages of the pain process? (Select
all that apply.)
a.The activation of pain receptors is referred
to as transmission.
b.A damaged cell releases histamine, which
excites nerve endings.
c.Bradykinin is a hormone-like substance
that sends additional pain stimuli to the
central nervous system.
d.No specific pain organs or cells exist in the
body.
e.Pain sensations from the viscera course
along the autonomic system.
f.Stimulation of sensory receptors and the
intactness of their nerve supply are
necessary conditions for pain.
4.Which of the following are accurate
descriptors of the gate control theory? (Select
all that apply.)
a.Nerve fibers of small diameter conduct exci-
tatory pain stimuli away from the brain.
b.Nerve fibers of a large diameter inhibit the
transmission of pain impulses from the
spinal cord to the brain.
c.There is a gating mechanism that is believed
to be located in substantia gelatinosa cells
in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.
d.The exciting and inhibiting signals at the
gate in the spinal cord determine the
impulses that eventually reach the brain.
e.A large amount of sensory information can
be processed by the nervous system at any
given moment.
f.When too much information is sent
through the nervous system, cells in the
spinal column take over, as if opening a
gate.
5.Which of the following statements regarding
the perception of pain are accurate? (Select all
that apply.)
a.The perception of pain involves the sensory
process that occurs when a stimulus for
pain is present.
b.The perception of pain does not include the
person’s interpretation of the pain.
c.The pain threshold is the highest intensity
of a stimulus that causes the subject to rec-
ognize pain.226 UNIT VII PROMOTING HEALTHY PHYSIOLOGIC RESPONSES
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