What it means
Short-term pain with a known cause, such as a surgical cut, a broken bone or a kidney stone. It acts as a warning that something is wrong. It often comes with a faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, sweating and guarding of the painful area. Chronic pain, by contrast, lasts beyond normal healing, usually more than 3 months, and the body's signs of it are often absent.
For the nurse
Pain is what the client says it is: use a pain scale that fits the client, treat it promptly, and check again after each intervention, such as 30 to 60 minutes after an oral pain drug. Pain that is much worse than expected or keeps increasing should be reported.
At a glance
| Spanish | dolor agudo |
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Related terms
opioid analgesic
A strong drug that relieves moderate to severe pain by acting on the brain and spinal cord.
analgesic
A drug that relieves pain.
chest pain
Pain or discomfort felt anywhere in the chest.
sprain
A stretch or tear of a ligament, the tough band that holds bones together at a joint.