Abdominal pain

Question 1

Describe inflammatory pain

Answer 1

Pain due to nociceptor activation
severity of pain= severity of disease
responds to analgesics

Question 2

Describe neuropathic pain

Answer 2

Due to changes in nervous system

severity of pain= severity of neural system damage NOT disease activity

Question 3

What is deafferentation?

Answer 3

Chronic pain can create changes in the dorsal horn, thalamus, and cortex, producing a ‘hard wired’ pain pattern. Non-noxious stimuli or different organs can induce the previously established pain pattern.

Question 4

Pain as a _______ responds to analgesics; pain as a ______ does not

Answer 4

symptom; disease

Question 5

The neruotransmitter _______ can transform normal sensory input into a pain sensation

Answer 5

substance P

Question 6

What is the difference between primary and secondary hyperalgesia?

Answer 6

primary: any injury to a tissue makes the area become hypersensitive to pain
secondary: increased sensitivity and allodynia surrounding a site where no tissue damage has occurred

Question 7

Secondary hyperalgesia is attributed to changes in the ______ of the spinal cord

Answer 7

dorsal horn

Question 8

The GI tract can sense _____ or _______

Answer 8

distension or exaggerated muscular contraction

Question 9

______ pain is vague and referred to the midline. ______ pain is localized to a specific location

Answer 9

visceral; parietal

Question 10

Colic pain will be worse in organs with a smaller _____

Answer 10

lumen

Question 11

What are alarm symptoms that may accompany acute abdominal pain?

Answer 11

severe pain, signs of shock, signs of peritonitis, abdominal distension