Pain Flashcards
Give the classes of drugs used to treat post-amputation pain syndrome
- Triyclic antidepressants e.g. amtitriptyline
- Gabapentinoids e.g. gabapentin, pregabalin
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors e.g. duloxetine
- TRPV1 receptor antagonists e.g. capsaicin cream
- Opioids e.g. tramadol for acute control whilst awaiting specialist input
- NMDA antagonists e.g. ketamine for acute control
Define neuropathic pain
Unpleasant sensation which arises as a consquence of lesion or disease affecting somatosensory system
Give characteristic features of neuropathic pain
- Associated paraesthesia
- Spontaneous episodes of pain
- Allodynia
- Shooting/electric shock/burning character
- Hyperalgesia or hypoalgesia
Apart from diabetes, list possible causes for neuropathic pain in the feet
- B12 deficiency
- Alcohol excess
- Spinal stenosis
- HIV
- Hypothyroidism
BASHHD (D for diabetes)
Give risk factors for development of peripheral neuropathy in patients affected by diabetes
- Hyperlipidaemia
- High BMI
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Poor glycaemic control
- Longer duration of diabetes
Give the main mechanisms that result in peripheral nerve damage in diabetes
- Hyperglycaemia damages microvascular supply to cause nervous tissue damage
- Hyperglycaemia generates inflammatory mediators to cause nervous tissue damage
What is first line treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain
- Amitriptyline, duloxetine, gabapentin or pregabalin
When would capsaicin be indicated in management of neuropathic pain
If pain is localised and
+ oral medication is not tolerated/patient refusal to take oral medication
What is the mechanism of action of capsaicin in the management of neuropathic pain
- Stimulates TRPV1 receptors (type of calcium ion channel) in C-fibres
- Causes initial release and then depletion of substance P
- Reduces pain sensation transmission
List the diagnostic/clinical features of trigeminal neuralgia
- Unilateral facial pain across distribution of trigeminal nerve or its divisions
- Electric shock-like/shooting/stabbing character
- Recurrent attacks of pain
- Pain lasts from less than a second to two minutes each time
- Precipitated by innocuous stimulation within distributon of trigeminal nerve
- Severe intensity
Give differential diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia
- Cluster headache
- Sinusitis
- Post-herpetic neuralgia
- Dental pain
- TMJ disorder
- Salivary gland stones
Ordered by location
What causes classical trigeminal neuralgia and how is it diagnosed
- Compression of nerve root by local vascular structure causing morphological change
- Clinical characteristics and MRI demonstrating compression of the nerve
Give four red flags that may suggest a serious underlying cause of trigeminal neuralgia
- Optic neuritis
- Opthalmic division pain only
- Deafness
- Skin or oral lesions
- Sensory changes
- Bilateral pain
- Family hx MS
- < 40 yrs at onset
Eyes and ears and mouth and MS
Give the management options for trigeminal neuralgia
- First line: carbamazepine (anticonvulsant, inactivates voltage gated sodium channels)
- Second line: gabapentinoid (inactivated voltage gated calcium channels), amitriptyline (TCA, multiple effects to inhibit reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline - including on VG K, Na, Ca, alpha adrenergic receptors, dopamine receptors), phenytoin
- Non pharmacological: microvascular decompression of trigeminal nerve root in posterior fossa, stereotactic radiosurgery, ablation of Gasserian ganglion
What pain control issues might chronic buprenorphine use cause perioperatively
- Buprenorphine is a partial agonist at MOP
- It is an agonist at KOP and DOP with high affinity and so prolonged duration of action
- Continued buprenorphine may reduce maximal effect of other opioids administered perioperatively, causing analgesic failure
List six causes of pain in a patient with advanced cancer
- Local mass effect
- Treatment associated including acute and chronic post-surgical pain
- Chemical release by tumour (e.g. prostaglandins) that sensitise nerve endings to painful stimuli
- Paraneoplastic phenomena causing neuropathy e.g. anti-Hu
- Associated conditions e.g. immunosuppression induced herptic reactivation, pathological fractures
- Chronic pain development consequent to primary causes
- Psychological state of patient exacerbating experience of pain
Give three approaches to minimise side effects from opioid medications in patients with advanced cancer
- Minimise overal opioid dose by using WHO analgesia ladder and adjuvant therapies
- Target management of specific side effects e.g. laxatives, antiemetics
- Co-administration of antagonist e.g. naloxone
- Rotation of opioid type
- Expereinced clinician magaing prescription to maintain lowest possible dose
Give five pharmacological approaches to managing advanced cancer pain apart from opioid medications
- WHO analgesic ladder: regular paracetamol, NSAIDs
- Neuropathic pain medications e.g. gabapentinoids
- Other adjuvant pain-relief e.g. ketamine
- Treat underlying cause e.g. ansitspasmodics for colic pain
- Manage associated depression or anxiety e.g. SSRO
Give four non pharmacological approaches to managing advanced cancer pain
- Surgery e.g. treat pathological fractures
- Radiotherapy
- Physiotherapy e.g. graded exercise therapy
- Psychological therapy e.g. CBT
- Complementary therapy e.g. acupuncture
Give the diagnostic features of chronic post-surgical pain
- Pain localised to surgical area or corresponding innervation
- Pain that develops or increases after surgical procedure
- Pain persists beyond healing process (more than or equal to 3 months)
- Other causes of pain are excluded
Site, timing, character
List five surgical procedures commonly associated with chronic post-surgical pain
Top 3:
* Thoracotomy
* Mastectomy
* Amputation
By location:
* Craniotomy
* Thoracotomy
* Sternotomy
* Mastectomy
* Inguinal repair
* Cholecystectomy
* C-section
* Vasectomy
* Amputation
* Knee arthoplasty
Give four patient related risk factors for the development of chronic post-surgical pain
- Younger age
- Female
- Higher BMI
- Poor social support
- Lower educational level
- Psychological factors e.g. fear of surgery
- Genetic susceptibility
Apart from the risk attributed to specific procedures or patient factors, list four risk factors for the development of chronic post-surgical pain
Surgical:
* Procedures that involve significant nerve/tissue damage
* Longer duration of surgery
* Surgical complications
* Repeated surgery
Anaesthetic:
* Poor post-operative pain control
Medical:
* Adjuvant radiotherapy/neurotoxic chemotherapy
List two anaesthetic interventions that may be employed to minise the risk of chronic postsurgical pain
- Regional anaesthesia
- Multimodal analgesia
State the peripheral and central nervous system changes that occur in the development of chronic post-surgical pain
Peripheral:
* Repeated nerve damage causes inflammation, activation of lymphocytes and release of inflammatory mediators
* Leads to increased sodium and calcium channel expression which reduces threshold for firing of peripheral nerves
* Neural sprouting at neurone terminals gives larger receptive field
Central:
* Increased glutamate release from first-order neurones at dorsal horn increases NMDA receptor density at postsynaptic membranes, increasing transmission
* There may be reduction in descending inhibitory pathway activity
* Microglia activated by nerve damage release substances that further sensitise neurones
* Increased activity in brain centres associated with perception of pain e.g. thalamus
Give three risk factors for the development of complex regional pain syndrome
- Female
- Prolonged immobility
- Trauma
Give eight features you might find on clinical examination for CRPS
- Sensory: hyperalgesia, allodynia
- Vasomotor: temperature asymmetry, skin colour changes
- Sudomotor: oedema, sweating changes
- Trophic: decreased range of motion, motor dysfunction, trophic changes
Give other criteria apart from symptoms and signs that are required for the diagnosis of CRPS
- Continuing pain disproportionate to inciting event
- No diagnosis that can better explain clinical picture
Give four conservative treatment options in CRPS
- Patient education
- Physical therapies e.g. desensitisation
- Oedema control strategies e.g. positioning
- Occupational therapy e.g. pacing
- Pyschological interventions e.g. CBT
Give five pharmacological options for the management of symptoms of CRPS
- Corticosteroids e.g. prednisolone
- TRPV1 receptor agonists e.g. capsaicin cream
- Gabapentinoids e.g. gabapentin
- Bisphosphonate e.g. alendronic acid
- IV ketamine
- Vasodilators e.g. CCB
Give three interventional techniques that may be considered in the management of CRPS
- Spinal cord stimulation
- TENS
- Sympathetic nerve block
Give two preventative measures that may protect against the development of CRPS
- Vitamin C 500mg OD for 50 days after wrist fracture
- Early rehabilitation with viligance for abnormal pain response
State the mechanism of action of intrathecal opioids in the spinal cord
- Intrathecal opiates stimulate opiate receptors in Rexed’s laminae, presynaptic to C and A-delta fibres, resulting in hyperpolarisation of the cell membrane and reduced release of excitatory neurotransmitters glutamate and substance P
- Opioid receptors post-synaptically can also be activated which causes indirect activation of descending inhibitory pathways
State the mechanism of action of intrathecal opioids in the brain
- Opioids spread cephalad and stimulate receptors in nucleus raphe magnus and periaqueductal grey, reducing GABAergic tone on descending inhibitory pathways, so they exert an antinociceptic effect at the spinal level
List six major side effects of intrathecal opioids
- Nausea and vomiting
- Respiratory depression
- Pruiritus
- Sedation
- Delayed gastric emptying
- Urinary retention
List five factors that may increase risk of post-operative respiratory depression following administration of intrathecal opioids
- Use of hydrophilic opioids e.g. morphine
- Concomittant use of long acting sedatives
- Positive pressure ventilation
- Increasing age
- Co-existing respiratory disease
- OSA
- Obesity