Pain Management Flashcards
What is pain?
An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.
What are three pain assessments?
Physical, Functional & Psychosocial
What are the three types of neuron?
1st - sensation of pain
2nd - modulation & propagation of pain
3rd - translation and perception of pain
What are the three types of neuron fibres? What do they do?
A- delta = acute pain - middle
A- Beta = sensation/ other types of stimulation - fastest
C fibre = Chronic pain - Slowest
How is pain perceived by the body?
Activation of nociceptors, found at the nerve terminals of 1st order neurons, these are pain mediator receptors. These are stimulated by prostaglandins, substance p & nociceptins. This propagates the impulse in the first-order neuron, to the second-order and finally to third-order neurons.
What is the most common pain associated with acute pain?
Anxiety
What is the most common pain associated with chronic pain?
Depression
What are 3 characteristics of acute pain?
Myelinated - faster conduction as can jump between nodes of Ranvier
Large Diameter
Fast conduction - A-Delta
What are 3 characteristics of chronic pain?
Unmyelinated
Slower conduction - C fiber
Small diameter
What can acute and chronic pain each be accompanied with?
Acute - Stress & Anxiety
Chronic - Depression
What is adjuvant medication?
Not true analgesics
Pt with chronic or acute pain - on analgesics - but will be experiencing other pain like stress/ anxiety/ depression so added therapies are required additionally. These for example could be anti-depressants.
What is neuropathic pain associated with?
Diabetic pain. This is where nerve terminals are irritated.
What is gabapentin and pregabalin used for?
Neuropathic pain - help in reducing sensitivity of nerve terminals
What is the stepwise approach to starting opioid medication?
Step 1 - NSAIDs/ Non opioid for mild pain= +/- Adjuvant
Step 2 - Opioid, MILD TO MODERATE + NSAIDs +/- Adjuvant
Step 3 - Opioid + NSAIDS, MODERATE TO SEVERE
Can you add weak opioids alongside strong opioids?
No, both types of opioids activate the same receptor (nociceptor). The addition of weak opioids causes competition for the receptors and causes a reduction in potency, when just giving a strong opioid
Can opioids be given alongside NSAIDs?
Yes, opioids act on nociceptors whereas NSAIDs act on COX1 & COX2 inhibiting prostaglandin production
Give an example of a strong opioid
Morphine