Question

A patient is in the first postoperative day following a nephrectomy. The patient is receiving morphine through a patient-controlled analgesia

vice for management of pain. The patient complains of pain in the shoulders. The nurse understands that it is a referred pain. What explanation should the nurse give to the patient regarding the referred pain?
1. It is a pain that occurs sporadically over time.
2. It is a moderate pain that occurs for more than 6 months constantly.
3. It is a pain that is sensed at a site away from its actual origin or pathology.
4. It is neuropathic pain that is caused generally after cancer or a tumor.

Answer 1

Referred pain is the conscious perception of visceral sensation projected to a different region of the body. It occurs when strong visceral sensations are felt in unexpected places. This phenomenon happens because the visceral sensory fibers enter the spinal cord at the same level as the sensory fibers from the referred pain location.

Step-by-step explanation:

Referred pain is the conscious perception of visceral sensation projected to a different region of the body. When strong visceral sensations rise to the level of conscious perception, they are often felt in unexpected places. For example, strong sensations of the heart can be felt as pain in the left shoulder and left arm. The location of referred pain is not random; it occurs because the visceral sensory fibers enter into the same level of the spinal cord as the sensory fibers of the referred pain location. The brain then misinterprets the sensations from the viscera as being from a different area of the body.