Pain Flashcards
Define pain
Unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, and described in terms of such damage
(Intl. association for study of pain)
What is dysesthesia
decrease or exaggeration of spontaneous or provoked sensitivity
Compare allodynia and hyperalgesia
Allodynia - pain caused by usually non-painful stimuli
Hyperalgesia - heightened pain response to normally painful stimuli
What is hyperpathia
painful syndrome characterized by abnormal pain reaction to a stimulus, especially repeated stimulus
What are the nociceptive nerve fibres that carry information about pain?
A-delta fibres - thinly myelinated
C-fibres - unmyelinated
Describe key characteristics of the A-delta fibres
- Poorly myelinated
- Transmit “quick” pain signals
- Acute, highly localized pain
- Carry signals to the dorsal horn
Describe the key features of the C fibres
- Unmyelinated
- Slow impulse conduction
- “polymodal” pain signals (mechanical, thermal, and chemical)
- “secondary pain” (radiating, shooting, burning, piercing following the acute pain signal)
Which 2 neurotransmitters carry pain signals between peripheral and central nociceptive fibres?
What are their corresponding receptors?
1) substance P (neurokinin receptor)
2) glutamate (AMPA - alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic-acid receptor)
(Activation of NMDA occurs much later, induced by “floods” of glutamate)
3 enzymes for methadone metabolism
cyp 3a4, 2d6, 2b6, 1a2
3 inhibitors of cyp 3a4
antibiotics (cipro, erythro, metronidazole)
antifungal (fluconazole, ketoconazole)
CCB (dilt, verapamil)
benzo (alprazolam, diazepam)
cyp3a4 inducers
antiepileptic - phenytoin, phenobarb, carbamaz
antibiotic - rifampin
steroid - dex high dose over 16mg /d
tca - ami/nortryp
list opioids in phenanthrene class
morphine, oxy, hydro, codeine
list opioid in phenylpiperidine class
fent, sufent, meperidine
what class of opioid (structurally) is methadone?
diphenylheptane
2 types of opioid allergy (immune mediated reactions)
- allergic dermatitis (type IV)
- anaphylaxis / anaphylactoid
define chronic pain
pain that persists beyond usual course of healing
OR
associated with a chronic pathological illness that causes continuous or recurrent pain over months/years
2 neuropathic pain screening tools
leeds assessment
neuropathic pain questionnaire
most common cause of pain in cancer
bone mets
ion channel involved in peripheral sensitization
sodium
ion channel involved in central sensitization
calcium
receptor responsible for wind up
what blocks the receptor under normal activity?
NMDA
magnesium ion
3 key mechanisms of bone pain
- osteoclast activation and acidity increases nociceptor activity
- inflammatory factors (cytokines, IL’s, chemokines etc.)
- structural damage
most common neuropathic pain syndrome in HIV patients (from disease not NRTI’s)
distal polyneuropathy
gabapentin / pregabalin target
alpha-2-delta subunit voltage gated ca-channels