In patients who are unable to verbalize their pain, unrelieved pain may manifest through non-verbal cues and physiological changes. Signs such as restlessness indicate discomfort, as patients may exhibit an inability to stay still due to pain. Changes in vital signs can further reflect the physiological stress response to pain, including increased heart rate, blood pressure, or respiratory rate. These signs are crucial for healthcare providers to recognize in order to assess and manage pain effectively, especially in populations such as infants, individuals with cognitive impairments, or patients under sedation, who may not be able to communicate their pain verbally.
The other options reflect either signs of comfort and stability, which would not be indicative of unrelieved pain, or only focus on certain aspects like facial expressions that, while important, do not encompass the broader range of physiological and behavioral changes that can occur in response to pain.