Table 2.
Knowledge of pain management (211).
| Variable | Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Vital signs are always reliable indicators of the intensity of a patient's pain | 77 (36.5%) | 134 (63.5%) |
| (2) Because their nervous system is underdeveloped, children under two years of age have decrease pain sensitivity and limited memory of painful experiences | 69 (32.7%) | 142 (67.3%) |
| (3) Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents are not effective analgesics for acute postoperative pain | 66 (31.3%) | 145 (68.7%) |
| (4) Respiratory depression rarely occurs in patients who have been receiving stable doses of opioid over a period of months | 118 (55.9%) | 93 (44.1%) |
| (5) Combining analgesics that work by different mechanisms may result in better pain control with fewer side effects than using a single analgesic agent | 163 (77.3%) | 48 (22.7%) |
| (6) The usual duration of analgesia of 1-2 mg morphine IV is 4-5 hours | 71 (33.6%) | 140 (66.4%) |
| (7) Pethidine 75 mg IM is approximately equal to morphine 10 mg IM | 121 (57.3%) | 90 (42.7%) |
| (8) Opioid should not be used in patients with a history of substance abuse | 46 (21.8%) | 165 (78.2%) |
| (9) The term “equianalgesia” means approximately equal analgesia | 187 (88.6%) | 24 (11.4%) |
| (10) After an initial dose of opioid analgesic is given, subsequent doses should be adjusted | 189 (89.6%) | 22 (10.4%) |
| (11) Anticonvulsant drugs such as gabapentin (Neurontin) produce optimal pain relief after a single dose | 66 (31.3%) | 145 (68.7%) |
| (12) If the source of the patient's pain is unknown, opioid should not be used during the pain evaluation period | 42 (19.9) | 169 (80.1%) |
| (13) Sedation assessment is recommended during opioid pain management | 176 (83.4%) | 35 (16.6%) |
| (14) Benzodiazepines are not effective pain relievers and are rarely recommended | 158 (74.9%) | 53 (25.1%) |
| (15) Narcotic/Opioid addiction is defined as a chronic neurobiological disease, characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving | 191 (90.5%) | 20 (9.5%) |
| (16) The recommended route of administration of opioid analgesics for patients with persistent postoperative pain is | 84 (39.8%) | 127 (60.2%) |
| (17) The recommended route of administration of opioid analgesics for patients with brief, severe pain of sudden onset is | 145 (68.7%) | 66 (31.3%) |
| (18) Which of the following analgesic medications must be used with caution due to its metabolite that can precipitate seizures? | 105 (49.8%) | 106 (50.2%) |
| (19) A 30 mg dose of oral morphine is approximately equivalent to | 132 (62.6%) | 79 (37.4%) |
| (20) Analgesics for postoperative pain should initially be given | 185 (88.2%) | 25 (11.8%) |
| (21) A patient with severe postoperative pain has been receiving daily morphine injections for 3 consecutive days. The likely hood of the patient developing clinical psychological addiction is | 104 (49.3%) | 107 (50.7%) |
| (22) Which of the following nondrug methods are useful for combining with treatment of postoperative pain? | 196 (92.9%) | 15 (7.1%) |
| (23) The most accurate judge of the intensity of the patient's pain is | 180 (85.3%) | 31 (14.7%) |
| (24) How likely is it that those patients who develop pain already have alcohol and/or drug abuse problem? | 118 (55.9%) | 93 (44.1%) |
| (25) The time to the peak effect for morphine given IV is | 145 (68.7%) | 66 (31.3%) |
| (26) The time to the peak effect for morphine given orally is | 138 (65.4%) | 73 (34.6%) |
| (27) Following abrupt discontinuation of an opioid, physical dependence is manifested by the following: | 91 (43.1%) | 120 (56.9%) |
| (28) Which statement is true regarding opioid-induced respiratory depression | 105 (49.8%) | 106 (50.2%) |