Final answer:
An increased respiratory rate is a physiologic sign that may indicate a patient is experiencing pain, as it is a response to stress which can occur with pain. While changes in anxiety or blood pressure may accompany pain, an increased temperature typically suggests infection or inflammation, not pain. Blood pressure within normal limits is not a reliable indicator of pain.
Step-by-step explanation:
In assessing a patient's pain level, certain physiologic signs can be indicative of pain. One such sign is an increased respiratory rate, which is a response to stress and may occur during pain. Other signs of pain could include anxiety, which often accompanies the experience of pain, and changes in blood pressure or heart rate.
However, increased temperature is generally not a direct indicator of pain but rather of infection or inflammation. Option (c), 'Blood pressure within normal limits (WNL) for the patient', does not specifically indicate pain, as blood pressure can be within normal limits even when a person is in pain.
It is important to note that the signs of disease, unlike symptoms, are objective and measurable, and can be directly observed by a clinician through vital signs such as heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature.