A patient admitted with the diagnosis of possible myocardial infarction complains of pain and tingling in the left arm and says, "How in the world could I be having a heart attack when it's just my arm that is giving me trouble?"
What type of pain should the nurse explain that the pa-tient is experiencing?
a. Referred pain
b. Psychogenic pain
c. Neuromuscular pain
d. Muscle spasms of shoulder
A
Pain is what the patient says it is and should be communicated as such. However, pain in specific areas may be referred pain, and left arm discomfort is typically referred from the heart. The nurse administers the analgesic as ordered and frequently checks to determine whether the pain is re-lieved.
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