Pain

Question 0

What are nocioceptors?

Answer 0

Are the nerve endings that convey painful stimuli along the neuro anatomical pathway from the periphery to central nervous system

found in skin, muscles and organs

Question 1

How do vital signs respond to pain?

Answer 1

Everyone is different, so some people show changes and some don’t

Temperature itself doesn’t change but diaphoresis (flushing) can

Pulse rate may increase with acute pain

Respiration may be irregular with severe pain while acute pain may adjust the rate and rhythm. Hyperventilating can occur

Blood pressure may increase with acute pain, but decrease with chronic or more severe pain

Question 2

What are the four phases of pain?

Answer 2

Transduction - tissue damage sends pain impulse to the spinal cord

Transmission - pain impulse travels from the spinal cord to the brain

Perception - cerebral cortex interprets pain

Modulation - pain messages may be inhibited

Question 3

What are the two types of pain?

Answer 3

Acute pain // Causes a sympathetic response

Chronic pain // May cause a parasympathetic response // lasts longer than six months

Question 4

What are the sources of pain?

Answer 4

Nocioceptive - normal response // visceral pain // deep or superficial somatic pain

Neuropathic - abnormal response // example is phantom limb pain

Cancer pain

Reference pain

Question 5

What is visceral pain?

Answer 5

From stimulation of nocioceptors in internal organs

Question 6

What is deep somatic pain?

Answer 6

Arises from stimulation of receptors in skeletal muscles, joints, and fascia

Question 7

What is superficial somatic pain?

Answer 7

Also called cutaneous pain

Results from pain receptors found in the skin and subcutaneous tissues

Question 8

What does pain provide?

Answer 8

Signals tissue damage

Position of pain indicates underlying cause

Question 9

How do you assess pain?

Answer 9

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