Chapter 37 Pain Control in the Critically Ill Patient Flashcards
patients in critical care settings often
experience pain from
prolonged immobility, routine nursing
care (airway suctioning, dressing changes, and patient
mobility) and monitoring and therapeutic devices (catheters,
drains, and endotracheal tubes).
Anxiety may stem from
pain, being in an unfamiliar
environment, and lack of control or even a fear of
impending death.
Significant anxiety may lead to
agitation
and delirium, complicating diagnosis and interfering with
treatment leading to increased morbidity and mortality.
Behavioral physiologic
scales use pain-related behaviors such as
posturing and facial expressions along with physiologic indicators
such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate to assess pain intensity in patients who are unable to participate in unidirectional pain assessment scales.
Undersedation may result in
ventilator dysynchrony, increased
oxygen requirements, self-removal of devices and
possibly post-traumatic stress disorder from a stay in the critical care unit.
oversedation may result
in
prolonged tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation,
increasing the chance of pneumonia and respiratory
deconditioning.
Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale
sedation scale with scores ranging from 14, a violent dangerous patient, to –5, an
unarousable patient. A sedation score of 0 is most often
therapeutically targeted as it correlates with an alert and calm patient
Ramsay Sedation Scale
the most
simplistic and allows for a numeric score from 1 to 6 based
on responsiveness of the patient
Riker Sedation Agitation Scale
scores a patient’s level of sedation from 1 to 7 and is especially
adapted to warn the clinician of extremes of sedation and
agitation
Adaptation to the Intensive Care
Environment (ATICE
a complex scoring system consisting
of two domains, consciousness and tolerance.9 The
consciousness domain evaluates wakefulness and comprehension
while the tolerance domain monitors agitation,
ventilator dysynchrony, and facial expressions.
Few objective measures are available to assess sedation.
Vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate are not specific or sensitive to sedation in the
critically ill.
bispectral index (BIS)
aims to provide an objective measure of a patient’s sedation by
assigning a numerical value to a patient’s electroencephalogram
activity
Patient comfort in the critical care setting is obtained with
the use of
both hypnotic and analgesic agents. Focusing first on providing analgesia and then on hypnosis may provide more effective sedation.
recommended first-line therapy for the
treatment of pain.
Acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
NSAIDs
NSAIDs
nonselectively inhibit cyclooxygenase,
blocking the production of inflammatory
mediators
limit
the use of NSAIDs in the intensive care unit.
clinical concerns of renal insufficiency and bleeding from
platelet dysfunction and gastrointestinal tract mucosa
Renal insufficiency due to Keterolac
results from
from the decreased of production of prostacyclins
that increase renal blood flow.
Migraine without Aura
At least five headache attacks Headaches last 4–72 hr if untreated Has at least two of the following, but not weakness: Unilateral pain, Pulsating, Intensity is moderate to severe, Aggravated by routine physical activity, Has at least one of the following: Phonophobia, Photophobia Nausea, Emesis
Migraine with Aura
At least two headache attacks that also fulfill the characteristics of migraine without aura.
Headaches usually follow the aura but may begin with it and last 4–72 hr if untreated. Has at least one of the following reversible symptoms (lasting 4 min to 60 min), but no weakness.
Positive or negative visual symptoms such as scintillating scotomas, blind spot (scotoma), blurred vision, zig-zag lines, homonymous hemianopsia.
Positive or negative sensory symptoms such as tingling or numbness.
Basilar Migraine
At least two attacks of migraine with an aura whose symptoms are reversible and localize to the brainstem or are bihemispheric, but without weakness.
Symptoms can include: Dysarthria
Dizziness or vertigo
Bilateral visual symptoms, including temporary blindness
Diplopia, Nystagmus
Ataxia, Decreased level of consciousness
Bilateral paresthesiae
Tinnitus with or without decreased hearing
Aura without Headache
At least two attacks of symptoms typical of auras, but not weakness, such as visual, sensory or speech disturbances that resolve within 1 hr and are
not followed by a headache
Hemiplegic Migraine
At least two attacks of migraine with a reversible aura of motor weakness that can last 1 hr to days
Also includes one of the following:
Positive or negative visual symptoms,
Positive or negative sensory symptoms,
Dysphasia or dysarthria.
Frequently accompanied by symptoms typical of basilar migraine.
If at least one first- or second-degree relative has a migrainous aura that includes motor weakness, it is familial hemiplegic migraine and is associated with a mutation in the neuronal calcium channel. If no first- or second-degree relative has a migrainous aura that includes motor weakness, it is sporadic hemiplegic migraine
Opioids produce
analgesia mainly by stimulating
g- and k-receptors
located both centrally and peripherally; however, interaction
with other opioid receptors may lead to adverse
effects.
Unwanted effects of opioids include
nausea, constipation,
urinary retention, pruritus, and excessive sedation
with possible respiratory depression. Severe constipation
leading to ileus has been treated with some success
using intravenous and parenteral opioid antagonists
Respiratory depression occurs with opioids because
the ventilatory response to hypercapnia is decreased, while the response to hypoxia is obliterated.
Hypotension is occasionally seen in
hypovolemic patients
as a decrease in sympathetic tone
occurs after treatment of pain with opioid administration
Fentanyl
an opioid which has a rapid onset and
short duration of action often necessitating continuous infusion therapy of 1 to 2 mg/kg/hr with 1 to 2 mg/kg initial loading doses to provide adequate pain control