L7: Pain Management Flashcards
what is McCaffrey’s classic definition of pain?
pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he says it does
what does effective pain management do(5)?
1) improves quality of life
2) reduces physical discomfort
3) promotes earlier mobilization and return to baseline functional ability
4) results in fewer hospital and clinic visits
5) decreases hospital lengths of stay
These reduce healthcare costs
caring for patients in pain requires recognition that…
pain can and should be relieved
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) in conducting an extensive examination of pain as a public health problem. The results of the IOM study were released in the 2011 report, “Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research.” This report…
acknowledges the tragic epidemic of pain in the United States and calls for major coordinated efforts to develop safe effective preventive and management strategies.
what does The Joint Commission pain standard require?
requires healthcare providers to assess all patients for pain on a regular basis
The nature of Pain(5):
* what components are involved?
* how is it perceived by people?
* what does pain reduce?
* how do you measure it?
* what can it lead to?
1) pain involves physical, emotional, and cognitive components
2) pain is subjective and individualized
3) pain reduces quality of life
4) subjectively, pain is not measurable objectively
5) pain may lead to serious physical, psychological, social, and financial consequences
what are the four physiological processes of normal pain?
1) transduction
2) transmission
3) perception
4) modulation
describe the transduction of pain:
a pain-producing stimulus sends an impulse across a sensory peripheral pain nerve fiber (nociceptor), initiating an action potential.
describe the transmission of pain:
excitatory neurotransmitters transmit the pain signal across synaptic clefts, spreading the “pain message” and causing an inflammatory response. This pain message is transmitted to the cerebral cortex for analysis.
What are the two roles of neurotransmitters during nerve transmission?
They either excite during transmission or inhibit during modulation.
What do excitatory neurotransmitters do?
They send electrical impulses across the synaptic cleft between two nerve fibers, enhancing transmission of the pain impulse.
What happens when a pain stimulus reaches the cerebral cortex?
The brain interprets the quality of the pain and processes information from past experience, knowledge, and cultural associations.
What cortex identifies the location and intensity of pain?
somatosensory cortex
What cortex determines how a person feels about the pain?
association cortex, primarily the limbic system.
Is there a single pain center in the brain?
No, there is no single pain center.
How do nerve impulses from painful stimuli travel?
They travel along afferent (sensory) peripheral nerve fibers.
What are the (2) types of peripheral nerve fibers that conduct painful stimuli?
Fast, myelinated A-delta fibers and very small, slow, unmyelinated C fibers.
What sensations do A-delta fibers send?
Sharp, localized, and distinct sensations that specify the source of the pain and detect its intensity.
What type of impulses do C fibers relay?
Poorly localized, visceral, and persistent impulses.
describe the perception of pain
Perception is the point at which the person is aware of pain
includes physiological and behavioral responses
describe the modulation of pain:
once the pain perceives pain, there is a release of inhibitory neurotransmitters such as: endorphins (endogenous opioids), serotonin, norepinephrine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), that hinder the transmission of pain and help produce an analgesic effect
- inhibits pain impulse and serves as a protective reflex
describe the ANS parasympathetic nervous systems involvement in pain
continuous, severe, or deep pain typically involving visceral organs activates the parasympathetic nervous system
describe the sympathetic nervous systems involvement in pain
the stress response stimulate the ANS sympathetic nervous system; fight or flight
what are the types of pain(5)?
1) acute/transient
2) chronic/persistent (noncancer)
3) chronic episodic
4) idiopathic
5) cancer
describe acute/transient pain
(definition and 2 points)
protective, identifiable, and with a short duration; limited emotional response
- threatens patients’ recovery by inhibiting ability to become active and involved in self-care
- all focus is on pain relief which delays physical and psychological progress while pain persists
describe chronic/persistent pain (noncancer)
(definition and 2 points)
is not protective, has no purpose, and may or may not have an identifiable cause
- may be viewed as a disease since it has a distinct pathology that causes changes which may worsen over time.
- unknown cause of chronic pain frequently leads to psychological depression, and even suicide.
what is the goal of healthcare workers treating chronic pain?
The goal of chronic noncancer pain is to improve functional status with a multimodality plan
describe cancer pain
(description and 1 point)
normal (nociceptive), resulting from stimulus of an undamaged nerve and/or neuropathic, arising from abnormal or damaged pain nerves.
- A patient senses pain at the actual site of the tumor or distant to the site, called referred pain.
what is referred pain?
pain felt in an area distant to the site of tissue damage
describe chronic episodic pain
pain that occurs sporadically over an extended duration
describe idiopathic pain
chronic pain without an identifiable physical or psychological cause
What are the (5) Factors Influencing Pain?
Physiological
Social
Psychological
Pain tolerance
Cultural
what are the physiological factors that influence pain(4)?
1) age
2) fatigue
3) genes
4) neurological function
what does fatigue do to the perception of pain?
fatigue increases the perception of pain and can cause problems with sleep and rest
how does age influence pain and pain management?
are-related changes and increased frailty can lead to:
1) a less predictable response to analgesic medications
2) increased sensitivity to medications
3) potential harmful drug effects
how does genetic makeup influence pain?
genes may affect a person’s pain tolerance
what are some social factors that influence pain(4)?
1) attention
2) previous experiences
3) family and social support
4) spirituality
describe the effect attention has on the perception of pain
Increased attention - associated with increased perception of pain
Decreased attention - associated with diminished pain response
what are the psychological factors that influence pain(2)?
1) anxiety
2) coping style
what are the cultural factors that influence pain(2)?
1) individual’s meaning of pain
2) ethnicity
describe how anxiety influences the perception of pain
anxiety often increases the perception of pain and the perception of pain causes anxiety
describe the perception of pain: internal loci of control VS external loci of control
internal loci of control - perceive themselves as having control over events in their life and the outcomes such as pain
external loci of control - perceive that other factors in their life, such as nurses, are responsible for the outcome of events