Question

A male college student age 20 years has been experiencing increasingly sharp pain in the RLQ of his abdomen over the last 12 hours. A visit to the emergency department and subsequent diagnostic testing have resulted in a diagnosis of appendicitis. What category of pain is the client most likely experiencing?

a) somatic pain
b) referred pain
c) visceral pain
d) cutaneous pain

Answer 1

The client with appendicitis is most likely experiencing visceral pain, which is associated with the internal organs, unlike somatic or referred pain.

Step-by-step explanation:

The category of pain that the client with a diagnosis of appendicitis is most likely experiencing is visceral pain. This is because the appendix is an internal organ, and when it becomes inflamed, it causes a visceral sensation that is often very intense. Visceral pain occurs when pain receptors in the pelvis, abdomen, chest, or intestines are activated. Unlike somatic pain, which comes from the skin or deep tissues, or referred pain, which is pain felt in a part of the body other than its actual source, visceral pain is felt in the internal organs themselves. Cutaneous pain relates to the skin and is not the correct answer in this case.