Pain Control & Use of Analgesics in Small Animals Flashcards
It is mandatory to treat pain if an animal has…
undergone a painful procedure OR has chronic pain requiring treatment of that pain
What is the official definition of pain?
“An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage”
Pain has an essential protective function to announce…
the presence of a potentially harmful stimulus
Pain that has no useful function may be caused by
disease, trauma, or surgery and can delay recovery due to stress if left untreated
Appropriate analgesia results in
- a more rapid return to normal function
- a shorter hospital stay
When you undergo Surgery, you don’t perceive pain; but when you wake up after without appropriate pain meds on board, then…
you get excruciating pain when you wake up which is more difficult to treat
We use analgesics in veterinary patients because pain…
- increases distress and suffering
- increases the stress response
- increases the metabolic & energy demands
- increases conditions associated w/ prolonged recumbency
- self-mutilation
- ethical obligation for humane care
Studies in humans demonstrate that improperly controlled acute pain can…
precipitate a chronic pain syndrome that can be very difficult to control where pain itself becomes the primary disease
Pain assessment is the keystone of
pain management
if anything is done to the thorax, there are impacts to … and pain management should be used to facilitate it.
Ventilation
For successful treatment of pain, you must…
look for & recognise it
pain is now considered the 4th
vital sign monitored alongside TPR
Treat…
predictable pain
Pain assessment should be performed how often?
every 2-4 hours for acute pain
Pain assessment is key to determining
the degree & duration of pain treatment BUT should not replace treating predictable pain
Perioperative pain extends for at least… and should be managed accordingly
24-72 hours
All invasive procedures, trauma, & medical illnesses cause pain & may leave animals
unable to demonstrate pain behaviour
the worse the tissue injury, the worse the pain EXCEPT…
neuropathic pain which can be extremely intense despite relatively small tissue injury
Very sick patients may feel pain during
routine procedures & nursing
Species, breed, age, illness, temperament, drug admin influence…
behavioural responses to pain
compare an animal’s behaviour…
before & after the onset of pain if possible…
some animals respond to pain through
withdrawal
response to appropriate treatment is the gold standard to measure
the presence and degree of pain
always use a validated
pain scale, if available
What is the least subjective pain score?
composite scales where the observer interacts w/ the animal & assesses its behaviour & physiology
What is the best validated pain scale?
Glasgow Vet School Composite Measure Pain Scale (GCMPS)
What are signs of pain in the dog?
- change in posture or body position (hunching/praying position, not resting normal)
- change in demeanour
- altered/reduced interaction w/ people (aggression)
- vocalisations (barking, growling, whining)
- attention to/guarding affected area
- reduction in appetite
- altered mobility (lameness, reluctance to move)
What are the 2 validated pain scales in cats?
Glasgow
Botucatu
What things are assessed in the pain scales in cats?
posture, demeanour, vocalisations, interactions w/ the observer
The glasgow CMPS-F also addresses
facial expression
UNESP-Botucatu MCPS in cats includes
BP measurement as an optional variable
