A 75-year-old female patient presented to the office for an annual wellness visit. During the nurse's assessment, the patient explains she has been experiencing bilateral knee pain for the past eleven months. Based on the duration of the patient's symptoms, how would the nurse categorize the patient's pain?
Acute Pain
Intermittent Pain
Chronic Pain
Idiopathic Pain
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A reason:
Acute pain is typically sudden in onset and is usually the result of a specific injury or illness. It is characterized by its sharp quality and tends to last for a short duration, generally not longer than six months. Since the patient's knee pain has persisted for eleven months, it does not fall under the category of acute pain.
Choice B reason:
Intermittent pain is pain that comes and goes at intervals. Although the patient's pain could be intermittent, the classification based on duration would not be described as intermittent. This term refers more to the pattern of the pain rather than its chronicity or cause.
Choice C reason:
Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists for longer than six months, often continuing even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed. The patient's bilateral knee pain has been present for eleven months, which exceeds the six-month threshold, thus categorizing it as chronic pain.
Choice D reason:
Idiopathic pain refers to pain that arises without a clear cause. It is not categorized based on the duration of the pain but rather on the absence of an identifiable underlying reason. Since the patient's pain has a specific duration, it is not appropriate to classify it as idiopathic without further information regarding its cause.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason:
Diabetes mellitus is not typically associated with pitting edema unless it has led to a comorbid condition such as heart failure or kidney disease. Pitting edema is more commonly associated with fluid retention due to the body's inability to manage fluid balance, which is not a direct consequence of diabetes mellitus itself.
Choice B reason:
Liver disease, particularly cirrhosis, can lead to pitting edema. The liver's inability to produce albumin, a protein that helps maintain oncotic pressure in the blood vessels, and portal hypertension, which is an increase in the blood pressure within the portal vein system, can both contribute to the development of pitting edema.
Choice C reason:
End-stage renal disease can also cause pitting edema due to the kidneys' inability to excrete excess fluid. However, the edema associated with renal disease is often more generalized and not limited to the lower extremities.
Choice D reason:
Colon cancer is not typically associated with pitting edema unless it has metastasized and caused secondary complications that affect the liver or the heart. Pitting edema is not a direct symptom of colon cancer itself.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A Reason:
Rhinitis medicamentosa, also known as rebound congestion, is a condition of nasal congestion without other cold or allergy symptoms, typically caused by the overuse of nasal decongestant sprays. It does not usually present with chronic headaches or tenderness over the sinuses, which are more indicative of sinusitis.
Choice B Reason:
Acute bacterial sinusitis is likely the correct diagnosis in this scenario. It often follows a viral upper respiratory infection and presents with symptoms such as thick, discolored nasal mucus, decreased sense of smell, and facial pain or tenderness over the affected sinuses. The chronic headache and noted tenderness upon palpation over the sinuses in the client are consistent with this condition.
Choice C Reason:
Epistaxis, or nosebleed, is bleeding from the nose that can be caused by various factors, including trauma, medication, or environmental conditions. While it can be a symptom of other nasal conditions, it is not typically associated with chronic headaches or sinus tenderness following an upper respiratory infection.
Choice D Reason:
Allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction to allergens such as pollen, dust, or pet dander, causing symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, and sometimes headaches. However, the chronic headache and sinus tenderness described by the client after an infection are more suggestive of sinusitis rather than allergic rhinitis.
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