To encourage discussion with a client who has sudden severe back pain of unknown origin, which question should the nurse ask?

To encourage discussion with a client who has sudden severe back pain of unknown origin, which question should the nurse ask?

• A. Does the medication you're taking relieve the pain?
• B. Can you point to where the pain is the worse?
• C. What do you think caused the onset of your pain?
• D. Changing positions makes your pain worse, right?

Answer: (C)

When a client presents with sudden, severe back pain of unknown origin, you want to elicit their history of onset. Asking what they think caused the pain invites the patient to share their own perception and any event that preceded the pain—such as an injury, a heavy lift, a sudden movement, or an illness. This open-ended question helps uncover potential triggering factors and guides you toward possible causes, which is crucial for deciding the next steps in assessment and urgent evaluation if needed. It also communicates respect for the patient’s perspective and encourages full disclosure, which improves data gathering for an accurate differential. Other questions can be helpful for immediate management or localization, but they don’t probe the cause of the onset as effectively. For example, asking whether pain is relieved by medications focuses on current comfort, locating where the pain is emphasizes distribution, and inquiring about pain changes with position targets symptoms rather than origin.

When a client presents with sudden, severe back pain of unknown origin, you want to elicit their history of onset. Asking what they think caused the pain invites the patient to share their own perception and any event that preceded the pain—such as an injury, a heavy lift, a sudden movement, or an illness. This open-ended question helps uncover potential triggering factors and guides you toward possible causes, which is crucial for deciding the next steps in assessment and urgent evaluation if needed. It also communicates respect for the patient’s perspective and encourages full disclosure, which improves data gathering for an accurate differential.

Other questions can be helpful for immediate management or localization, but they don’t probe the cause of the onset as effectively. For example, asking whether pain is relieved by medications focuses on current comfort, locating where the pain is emphasizes distribution, and inquiring about pain changes with position targets symptoms rather than origin.