ATI SKILLS-PAIN MANAGEMENT Flashcards
Medication Tolerance
Definition
Reduced reaction to a medication when it has been taken over a period of time.
There are objective and universally applicable ways to confirm the existence of pain
True or False
False
Pain occurs on a regular schedule when analgesics are due to be administered.
TRUE OR FALSE
False
Pain
definition
an unpleasant experience associated with tissue injury and with emotional and sensory perceptual components
What blurs the lines as to the definition of pain?
Factors at play such as individual perception, communication, and endurance.
Analgesics
definition
Medications that reduce or relieve pain, including OTC and Rx Medications
What factors affect a client’s pain response and how they communicate the pain?
physical, emotional, cognitive, developmental, and cultural aspects
pain threshold
definition
the point at which a person perceives pain
pain tolerance
definition
the level of pain a person is willing to endure
What is the most reliable indicator of the presence and intensity of pain
the client’s self report
nociception
definition
incorporation of the physiologic processes associated with pain perception
What are the physiologic processes associated with pain perception
transduction
transmission
perception
modulation
transduction
definition
sensory neurons detect tissue damage through neurotransmitter sensitization of nociceptors
NSAIDs
definition
pain medications that work in the transduction process by blocking the production of substances at the site of injury, such as prostaglandin
Transmission
definition
a pain impulse is transmitted from the peripheral nerves to the spinal cord, brainstem, thalamus, and finally to the somatic sensory cortex where the impulse is perceived as pain
what medications are used to inhibit the pain transmission process
opioids
opioid
definition
naturally occurring or synthetic compounds that bind to opioids receptors of the central nervous system, usually used as analgesic agents
perception
definition
a person’s conscious awareness of the pain perception
what nonpharmacological interventions can be used to reduce the perception of pain
distraction
guided imagery
music therapy
modulation
definition
pain is modulated as descending regulatory mechanisms help prevent continuous transmission of pain signals
what medications are used to modulate pain and how do they do this
adjuvant medications such as tricyclic antidepressants by promoting reuptake of endorphins
What is the gate control theory
suggestion that pain varies with the balance between the non-nociceptive information traveling to the spinal cord through large nerve fibers and the nociceptive info traveling to the spinal cord through small nerve fibers.
in the gate control theory, what should happen if the large nerve fibers are more active than the small nerve fibers
the person should have little to no pain
how is the gate opened in the gate control theory
when there is more activity in the small nerve fibers, those nerve fibers activate projector neurons and block the inhibitory neurons
pain by duration is what
acute or chronic
acute pain
- is of a protective nature
- identifiable cause
- recent onset
- tissue injury
- short duration
- resolves as damaged tissue heals
what does acute pain trigger
a sympathetic nervous response with increases in hr, rr, and bp. also see diaphoresis, pallor, dry mouth, restlessness, nausea, anxiety, and interuption of normal physiologic processes.
chronic pain
- constant or intermittent
- 3+ months in duration
- sometimes no cause/explanation
- sometimes the cause is chronic (cancer)
- interferes with functioning
- stabilized vs during early stages
psychologic results of chronic pain
client becomes discouraged, depressed, and withdrawn. some become suicidal.
physiological responses to chronic pain
pain reducing substances like endorphins become depleted. pain signals are processed more expediently thus potentiating the painful stimulus. pain experiences stored in the cerebral cortex increasing the clients response to pain
pain by etiology
cancer pain
burn pain
cancer pain
- not all clients with cancer experience pain
- often cannot find relief
- usually due to tumor progression
burn pain
- one of the most severe acute pains
- inflammatory response makes pain intense with any manipulation of the injry
- pain management must be dynamic as the character of the pain shifts over course of recovery.
pain by pathology
nociceptive pain
neuropathic pain
nociceptive pain
pain that arises from damage to or inflammation of tissues other than that of the peripheral and central nervous system
types of nociceptive pain
somatic (musculoskeletal)
visceral (internal organ)
neuropathic pain
arises from abnormal or damaged pain nerves. often described as burning, tingling, numbness, or shooting down an arm/leg. Responds poorly to analgesics like opioids or nsaids.
how to treat neuropathic pain
anticonvulsants
antidepressants
local anesthetics
idiopathic pain
chronic pain that persists in the absence of a detectable cause
ex. phantom pain
referred pain
originates in one place but is felt in another location far from the pain’s origin
ex. gall bladder pain being felt under the right shoulder pain
radiating pain
perceived at the source and in tissues that are adjacent to the source
intractable pain
defies relief like with advanced malignancies
ethnic background and cultural effects on pain
- pain can be viewed as a negative experience (keep to themselves)
- expressing pain can bring dishonor to the individual/family
- can be part of ritualistic practices- may be taught that being stoic is a sign of strength
guiding principles in pain management in relation to culture
- use assessment tools appropriate to clients primary language
- be sensitive to the meaning of pain in their culture
- avoid stereotyping
- encourage client to tell their stories about pain
- don’t allow your beliefs to influence
- explore fold remedies
pain in infants
- cannot verbalize the specifics
- respond by crying or withdrawing
- behavioral observation is recommended way to assess
toddler and pain
- most can describe location and intensity
- often express by crying or anger
- view pain as threat to their securities
- may associate pain with punishment
pain in school aged children and adolescents
- may view expression as a weakness or lack of bravery
- tendency not to acknowledge right away
- might try to rationalize pain
- if in persisten pain, often tend to regress to an earlier stage of development
pain in adults
- influenced by how they learned to express pain as a child
- often reluctant to express pain because it symbolizes weakness
- may not express because there is a fear of something wrong with their body, afraid of treatment, afraid of required lifestyle changes
pain in the elderly
- may not express if afraid of losing their independence
- some believe pain is a part of the aging process
- impaired perception of pain
gender expectations regarding pain
- males are told to be brave and tough and tolerate pain making them afraid to express
- females taught that showing pain or crying when hurt is acceptable
why is pain control important
improved pain control allows the client to get up sooner, breathe deeper which prevent a variety of complications like pneumonia or thromboembolism
how do you effectively manage pain
assess, understand, and treat the pain and then reassess on an ongoing basis. every client has a right to pain assessment and treatment
when do iv medications peak
within 30 minutes
when do oral medications peak
within 1 hour
if the client has pain, what do we need to find out
intensity, quality, location, timing, onset, duration, frequency, symptoms, treatment, effects on ADLs
PQRST
- provoked- cause/better/worse
- quality- what does it feel like
- region/radiation- where/local/spreading
- severity- pain scale
- timing- start/frequency/ intermittent/continuous
numeric rating scale (NRS)
0-10
0-no pain
1-3 mild
4-6 moderate
7-10 severe
Visual Analog Scale
VAS
no numbers, but client rates from none to worst possible. suitable with older children and adults. point to a number line with no numbers
image or pictorial scale
presents a series of faces
great for young children, those with cognitive difficulties, or those that do not speak the same language
FACES pain rating scale
AKA Wong Baker scale
6 cartoon like drawings
pictorial scale type
oucher pain scale
another pictorial scale
facial expressions from neutral to extremely distressed
available in several ethnic variations
assessment of pain when a client cannot communicate
- see if diagnosis usually causes pain (objective data)
- assess for possible causes
- look for behavior that indicates pain (objective data)
- other behaviors that indicate pain like combativeness or refusing care (objective data)
- ask opinions of family members (subjective, second party data)
- check for physiologic responses like elevated hr or rr (objective data) just remember pain can continue in the absence of vs changes