Comfort and Pain Management Flashcards
What are the steps in the pain process?
- Transduction (conversion of energy into electrical impulse)
- Transmission
- Perception (the point at which the person feels the pain)
- Modulation [(Inhibition or nullification of pain) moving body away from painful stimuli]
What is Nociception?
The ability to feel painful stimuli.
What is the most potent endorphin for analgesic effect?
Dynorphin.
Characteristics of Acute Pain.
- Protective
- Identifiable
- Short duration
- Limited emotional response
Characteristics of Chronic Pain.
- Not protective
- No purpose
- May or may not have an identifiable cause
What is Chronic Episodic Pain?
Pain that occurs sporadically over an extended duration.
What is Idiopathic Pain?
Chronic pain without identifiable physical or psychological cause.
What are some unique factors that affect pain?
- Fatigue
- Attention
- Age
- Anxiety and fear
- Pain tolerance
- Cultural
- Past experiences
What are some nonpharmcological pain-relief interventions?
- Cognitive and behavioral approach
- Relaxation and guided imagery
- Distraction
- Music
- Cutaneous (skin) stim/TENS
- Acupuncture & Acupressure
- Cold/Heat packs
- Transcutaneous E-Stim (TENS)
- Herbals
- Reducing pain perception and reception
- Elevation of edematous extremities
What is Patient-Controlled Analgesia?
Med admin system that allows patient to self-administer safe doses of opioids.
What are frequently used meds in PCA?
- Morphine
- Fentanyl
- Hydromorphone
How do you prevent inadvertent overdose with PCA?
Patient is the only one allowed to push the button.
What symptom is most indicative of acute pain?
Increased blood pressure.
Aside from oral medication, what other routes can opioid medication be administrated?
- Parenteral
- Intramuscular
- Transdermal
- Rectal
What are the most common routes of administration for PCAs?
- IV
- Subcutaneously
- Epidural
PCA Facts.
- Dose interval programmed into system (usual 6-8 minutes)
- Lock-out interval programs system to deliver a specific amount within a given time interval (usually hourly)
- Safeguards limit the possibility of over-medication
What types of individuals are suitable for PCA?
Alert and oriented.
What types of individuals are not suitable for PCA?
- Confused older adults
- Infants
- Very young children
- Cognitively impaired patients
- Patients w/ conditions for which over-sedation poses a significant health risk (i.e. asthma/sleep apnea)
PCA Advantages.
- Consistent analgesic blood level
- Faster and more predictable absorption than IM
- Patient in charge
- Less medication is used
- Allows for earlier ambulation
- Patient is more satisfied and improved pain relief
What is the best method to monitor patients for respiratory depression during PCA?
- Pulse Ox
- Capnography (CO2 measurement)
Which opioid neuromodulators block pain and produce euphoria?
- Endorphins
- Enkephalins
What does seratonin help regulate?
- Mood and social behavior
- Appetite and digestion
- Sleep
- Memory
- Sexual desire and function
What does dopamine help control?
Reward and pleasure.
Where does visceral pain originate?
- Cranium
- Abdomen
- Thorax