Certified Hospice and Palliative Assistant (CHPNA) Practice Test

What is breakthrough pain?

1. Pain that occurs at a consistent time

2. Incidental, idiopathic pain, or end-of-dose failure pain

3. Pain that is chronic and persistent

4. Pain that only occurs during the day

The correct answer is: Incidental, idiopathic pain, or end-of-dose failure pain

Breakthrough pain is characterized as pain that occurs suddenly despite the administration of medication intended to control chronic pain. It is often described as incidental, idiopathic, or related to end-of-dose failure pain. This means that it can occur unexpectedly or in situations where the patient is experiencing a flare-up of pain that breaks through the baseline level of pain management. When considering the other options, those descriptions do not accurately define breakthrough pain. For instance, pain that occurs at a consistent time refers to a predictable pattern, which does not capture the unpredictable nature of breakthrough pain. Chronic and persistent pain, as suggested in another option, refers to ongoing pain that remains at a low level but does not include the sudden spikes characteristic of breakthrough pain. Lastly, the notion that pain only occurs during the day ignores that breakthrough pain can occur at any time and is not limited to a specific time frame. Thus, the definition of breakthrough pain focuses primarily on its sudden onset and the context of existing pain management, making it an important aspect of palliative care.