Pain and comfort Flashcards
What are the two types of pain based on duration?
acute pain and chronic pain.
What is acute pain?
lasts seconds to less than 6 months.
What is chronic pain?
lasts 6 months or longer and can be intermittent or continuous.
What are the steps to perform a comprehensive pain assessment?
- Use a reliable and valid tool to determine pain intensity.
- Accept the client’s report of pain.
- Assist the client in establishing a comfort-function goal.
- Apply the Hierarchy of Pain Measures in clients who are unable to report their pain.
What subjective indicators are used to assess pain?
location, duration, quantity, quality, chronology, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated phenomenon.
What are some objective indicators of pain?
elevated vital signs, muscle tension, pallor, decreased blood pressure and heart rate with severe pain, nausea, vomiting, fainting, withdrawal to pain, grimacing, restlessness, and guarding the area of pain.
What is the Numeric Pain Scale?
rating from 0-10, where slight pain is 1-3, moderate pain is 4-7, and severe pain is 8-10.
What does the Visual Pain Rating Scale involve?
six faces with different expressions, rated from 0 (smiling face, no hurt) to 10 (crying face, worst pain).
What factors affect a client’s perception of pain?
cultural, ethnic, and religious beliefs; family; support systems; gender; age; environment; past experiences with pain; anxiety; and other stressors.
What are some nonpharmacological pain interventions?
positioning, cutaneous stimulation, heat/cold therapy, touch, massage, acupuncture, hypnosis, acupressure, and electronic stimulating units.
What are distraction techniques used for?
for mild pain or as an adjunct to other modalities to relieve pain.
What are opioids or narcotic analgesics?
first-line treatments for moderate to severe pain, including controlled substances like morphine, codeine, and oxycodone.
What are nonopioid analgesics?
acetaminophen and NSAIDs available over the counter.
What are adjuvant analgesics?
antidepressants, anticonvulsants, corticosteroids, and bisphosphonates, used to enhance the effect of opioids.
What is patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)?
computerized intravenous pump used typically for clients with postoperative pain, delivering prescribed opioid medicine.
What does pain management involve?
multimodal, multidisciplinary, and client-centered approach, ensuring clients’ rights to quality pain management.
independent Relaxation Techniques a nurse can perform
Reduce stress, induce sleep, reduce pain, calm emotions
– Four main categories (often combined)
▪ Breathing exercises
▪ Muscle relaxation
▪ Imagery
▪ Movement techniques
other Independent interventions a Nurse can perform
massage, acupuncture, meditation, biofeedback, thermal
stimulation
Types of acute pain
▪ Somatic
▪ Visceral
▪ Referred pain
Types of chronic pain
Chronic recurrent
▪ Chronic intractable benign
▪ Chronic progressive
phantom pain
Pain felt in amputated limb or body part
– Usually recurring versus constant
– Described as shooting, stabbing, squeezing, throbbing, or burning
– Associated with neurological activity in portions of brain once connected to
amputated body part
What is comfort in the body?
Comfort is the state of physical and emotional well-being, where the body is free from distress or discomfort.
What physiological mechanisms maintain comfort?
The body’s physiological mechanisms for maintaining comfort involve various systems (nervous, endocrine, and immune systems) that regulate pain, stress, and other sensations.
What is pain?
Pain is the unpleasant, subjective sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage that alters comfort.
