Question

A nurse is interviewing a patient who recently had a mastectomy about her pain to determine appropriate pain control methods. what categories of pain and associated descriptive terms might the nurse use to prompt the patient to describe her pain accurately.

Answer 1

The nurse can use pain assessment tools and ask the patient to describe her pain as either neuropathic or inflammatory. Descriptive terms such as aching, burning, sharp, throbbing, or stabbing can help in understanding the pain for appropriate pain relief methods.

Step-by-step explanation:

Pain Categories and Descriptive Terms in Pain Control

A nurse interviewing a patient who had a mastectomy about her pain might use certain categories and descriptive terms to help the patient describe her pain accurately. The nurse can prompt the patient to describe the intensity of her pain using a tool such as the Mosby pain rating scale. Additionally, the nurse can ask the patient to characterize her pain as either neuropathic or inflammatory.

Neuropathic pain is associated with damage to neurons of either the peripheral or central nervous system, leading to exaggerated pain signals being sent to the brain. On the other hand, inflammatory pain signals some type of tissue damage. Descriptive terms for pain may include aching, burning, sharp, throbbing, or stabbing. Understanding these pain descriptions is critical for determining the best pain relief methods, which could range from relaxation therapy to analgesic medications or even deep brain stimulation, depending on the severity and persistence of the pain.

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