Analgesics and Sedative drugs Flashcards
What does analgesia mean?
- group of drugs that relieve pain
- able to manipulate physiological mechanism of pain
Should all patients have the same pain management plan?
- no
- should be personalised
The WHO have created a analgesic ladder, what is this?
- framework for pain management
- not a rigid protocol but used to guide
The analgesic ladder has 3 main principles to remember:
1 - by the mouth
2 - by the clock
3 - by the ladder
What does the principle by the clock refer to?
- purpose is to maintain freedom from pain
- drugs administered around the clock
- drugs administered on a scheduled basis
The analgesic ladder has 3 main principles to remember:
1 - by the mouth
2 - by the clock
3 - by the ladder
What does the principle by the mouth refer to?
- oral administration is the preferred route
- ease of access in clinical settings
- administration of drug should be based on least invasive to most invasive
The analgesic ladder has 3 main principles to remember:
1 - by the mouth
2 - by the clock
3 - by the ladder
What does the principle by the ladder refer to?
- if pain occurs drugs should be administered in the following order:
1 - non-opiods (NSAIDS and paracetamol)
2 - mild opiods (codeine or tramadol)
3 - strong opiods (morphine or hydromorphone)
Pain can be assessed using unidimensional or multidimensional tools. What are these?
- unidimensional = measuring the quantity of one dimension of the pain experience
- multidimensional = measuring a combination of dimensions
What does the acronym prn stand for?
1 - preferred route needs
2 - preferred route required
3 - prescribed as needed
4 - prescribed at a specific time
3 - prescribed as needed
What are non-anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)?
- class of drugs that are non steroidal
- used to treat pain peripherally and centrally
- target COX-1 and COX-II
What are the 3 effect are NSAIDs commonly used to treat?
- pain
- inflammation
- fever
NSAIDs are commonly used to treat pain, inflammation and fever. What do all 3 of these things that NSAIDs are used to treat have in common? (as the cause)
- all caused by an increase in prostaglandins
- prostaglandins are created by COX-I and COX-II
What are prostaglandins?
- active lipid compounds produced by most cells
- involved in pain, inflammation and fever
Prostaglandins are not present automatically, but are created by the body in response to inflammation. Immune cells use an enzyme called phospholipase A2 to create arachidonic acid, which is a substrate for cyclooxygenase (COX). How is this achieved?
- phospholipase A2 converts membrane phospholipids into a 20-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid, called arachidonic acid.
Prostaglandins are not present automatically, but are created by the body in response to inflammation. Immune cells use an enzyme called phospholipase A2 to create arachidonic acid, which is a substrate for cyclooxygenase (COX). Phospholipase A2 converts membrane phospholipids into a 20-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid, called arachidonic acid. What is arachidonic acid then able to do?
- provide a substrate for COX-1 and COX-2
- COX-1 = constitutive (always switched on)
- COX-2 = inducible (needs to be turned on)
COX-1 and 2 are able to produce a compound that is involved in inflammation, what is this compound?
- prostaglandin
COX-1 and 2 are able to produce prostaglandin, a compound that is involved in inflammation. What are the 4 mechanisms that prostaglandin is able to cause inflammation, pain and fever?
1 - induce vasodilation and increase vessel permeability
2 - attract immune cells
3 - sensitise nociceptors to pain (pain receptors)
4 - stimulate the hypothalamus to increase temperature
What is the main mechanism of action of NSAIDs?
- competitively inhibit COX (both COX-1 and COX-2)
- causes a reduction in prostaglandin
- this is reversible
Prostaglandins are able to sensitise nociceptors to thermal, mechanical and chemical (all stimuli for nociceptors) stimuli, all relating to pain and increase pain sensation. How are they able to do this?
1 - allow K+ to leave the cell and Na+ influxes into the cell
2 - blocks K+ entering the cell
3 - blocks K+ leaving the cell and increases Na+ and Ca2+ entering the cell
4 - increases Na+ and Ca2+ entering the cell
3 - blocks K+ leaving the cell and increases Na+ and Ca2+ entering the cell
- essentially mean that depolarisation will continually occur
Which drug which is a NSAIDs is able to irreversibly inhibit COX?
1 - naproxen
2 - aspirin
3 - ibuprofen
4 - paracetamol
2 - aspirin
- has anti-platelet formation, so reduces blood coagulation
- reduces the risk of thrombosis (thins the blood)
NSAIDs are able to have 3 effects, what are they?
- analgesis (pain relief)
- anti-inflammatory
- antipyretic (an-tee-pie-ret-ik) (reduce fever)
What does antipyretic mean?
- anti = against
- pyretic = feverish
- so means to stop fevers
- pronounced as an-tee-pie-ret-ik
Arachidonic acid is the precursor for what?
- prostaglandins
- COX-1 and COX-2 use arachidonic acid as a substrate for prostaglandins
COX-1 is considered to be constitutive, but what does that mean?
- that it is always active
- COX-1 has a number of physiological effects
COX-1 is considered to be constitutive, meaning that it is always active. It has positive physiological effects in the stomach. What does it do?
- COX-1 derived prostaglandins are responsible for gastric mucosal protection
- vasodilation, stimulation, and secretion of gastroduodenal mucus and bicarbonate
COX-1 is considered to be constitutive, meaning that it is always active. It has positive physiological effects in renal homeostasis. What does it do?
- COX-1 derived prostaglandins are potent local vasodilators
- important for maintaining renal blood flow by attenuating vasoconstriction of the afferent arteriole
COX-2 is primarily considered to be inducible (does have some constitutive activity). What does this mean?
- it needs to be activated
- activated by immune cells (macrophages) and cytokines TNF-a which are common in inflammation and tissue injury