Chapter 34 (Pain Management) Vocab

Question 1

Analgesics

Answer 1

refers to a medication that provides relief from pain without putting you to sleep or making you lose consciousness

Question 2

Cutaneous Stimulation

Answer 2

involves stimulation of nerves via skin contact in an effort to reduce pain impulses to the brain, based on the “gate control” theory of pain

Question 3

Endorphins

Answer 3

Inhibitory neurotransmitters that decrease neuron activity through a synapse

Question 4

Epidural Infusion

Answer 4

a way of giving pain medicine. The medicine is given through a small tube called a catheter into the epidural space. The epidural space goes from the bottom of the skull to the tip of the tailbone

Question 5

Guided Imagery

Answer 5

a patient creates an image in the mind, concentrates on the image, and gradually becomes less aware of the pain

Question 6

Local Anesthesia

Answer 6

loss of sensation to a localized body part

Question 7

Opioid

Answer 7

medications prescribed for moderate-to-severe pain

Question 8

Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA)

Answer 8

a drug delivery system that allows patients to self-administer opioids with minimal risk of overdose to maintain a constant plasma level of analgesic

Question 9

Prostaglandins

Answer 9

a group of lipids made at sites of tissue damage or infection that are involved in dealing with injury and illness. They control processes such as inflammation, blood flow, the formation of blood clots and the induction of labour

Question 10

Relaxation

Answer 10

mental and physical freedom from tension or stress that provides individuals with a sense of control

Question 11

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

Answer 11

a method of pain relief involving the use of a mild electrical current