In assessing the patient complaining of abdominal pain, it is important for the nurse to understand that:

Question

a. pain receptors in the abdomen are more likely to be localized.
b. pain of a peptic ulcer is easily distinguished from that of heart attack.
c. visceral pain often leads to tachycardia and hypertension.
d. increasing intensity of pain is always significant.

Answer 1

D
Pain assessment is challenging. Pain receptors in the abdomen are less likely to be localized and are mediated by common sensory structures projected to the skin. Therefore, distinguishing the pain of a peptic ulcer or cholecystitis from that of a myocardial infarction is often difficult. Abdominal pain often is caused by engorged mucosa, pressure in the mucosa, distention, or spasm. Visceral pain is likely to cause pallor, perspiration, bradycardia, nausea and vomiting, weakness, and hypotension. Increasing intensity of pain, especially after surgery or other intervention, is always significant and usually signifies complicating factors, such as inflammation, gastric distention, hemorrhage into tissue or the peritoneal space, or peritonitis.