A 75-year-old client arrives in the emergency department complaining of abdominal pain. The pain started last night and is rated 5 out of 10 on the pain scale
At the same time a 32-year-old-female client arrives stating that she has severe pain in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen that started this morning. This client rates her pain 10 out of 10 on the pain scale. In assessing the severity of pain in these clients, the nurse may consider which factor regarding the reported intensity of pain?
A) Visceral pain is more severe in the older client, but they are less likely to complain.
B) Visceral pain is less severe in the older client and may be reported as mild.
C) The younger client tends to be more dramatic when complaining of pain.
D) Visceral pain is less severe in younger clients, but this may be reported high in intensity when it is the client's first experience with pain.
B
You might also like to view...
When a nurse is preparing an injection from an ampule, which of these actions should be taken before administering the medication to a client?
a. Discard the ampule. b. Document the medication on the MAR. c. Change the needle. d. Change the syringe.
Which treatment should the nurse prepare to provide to an older patient diagnosed with progressive dementia?
1. None 2. Vitamin E 3. Estrogen therapy 4. Gingko biloba extract
A nurse is assisting a postsurgical patient with effective coughing. How often should this exercise be performed?
A) every hour B) every 2 hours C) every 4 hours D) every shift
The grief and angst following a stressful event is sometimes described as:
A) chaos B) coping C) distress D) adaptation