Acute pain is characterized by which of the following?

• A. Pain lasting longer than a year
• B. Pain that occurs only during sleep
• C. Sudden onset, typically short-lived
• D. Pain that is constant and unchanging

Answer: (C)

Acute pain is defined by its rapid onset after tissue injury and its short duration, lasting only until healing occurs. The best description is pain that begins suddenly and is typically short-lived, which aligns with the purpose of acute pain: signaling injury and prompting protective actions while healing takes place.

Pain that lasts longer than a year is not acute; it describes chronic pain. Pain that occurs only during sleep isn’t the defining feature of acute pain, and pain that is constant and unchanging is more characteristic of chronic, persistent pain.