Pain Management Flashcards
What is the Gate-Control Theory of Pain ?
there is a gate/block that your brain controls that dictates how much pain you feel
What are the different types of pain ?
- acute
- chronic
- nociceptive
- cancer
What are some factors that influence pain ?
- physiologic: age, fatigue, genes, neuro function
- social: previous experience, family/social network, spiritual factors
- psychologic: attention, anxiety/fear, coping style
- cultural: meaning or expression of pain
What are the different types of pain scales ?
- numeric rating scale (0-10)
- nonverbal pain scale
- visual analog scale (patient marks scale)
- Wong Baker Faces pain rating scale
- FLACC (peds pt 2mo-7yrs)
- CRIES (infants)
What are some nonpharmacological interventions for pain ?
- positioning
- cutaneous stimulation (heat, cold, TENS)
- massage & acupressure
- cognitive behavioral therapy (distraction, relaxation, imagery, music)
- therapeutic touch
What are some pharmacological interventions for pain ?
- nonopioids
- opioids
- patient controlled analgesia (PCA)
- epidurals, nerve-blocks
- around the clock dosing
- multimodal approach
- adjuvants/co-analegesics
What does being opioid naive mean ?
someone who doesn’t take narcotics
What does being opioid tolerant mean ?
have used narcotics before so you need a bigger dose for it to be as effective
What are some principles for administering analgesics ?
- know pt’s previous response to analgesics
- select proper meds when more than one is ordered
- know accurate dosage
- assess right time and interval for administration
- screen for opioid addiction
How is positioning a pain management method ?
changing of positions ensures that you aren’t at risk for pressure injuries on your bony prominences
How is cutaneous stimulation a pain management method ?
therapy applied to the skin such as heat and cold, touch, massage, acupuncture, acupressure, or TENS.
- heat packs are commonly used for muscular pain
- cold packs are commonly used for decreasing swelling
- TENS emits low-voltage electrical impulses to the skin over painful areas (no RX needed)
- acupuncture/pressure and aroma therapy can relieve pain
In what ways are Nurses responsible for the pt’s pain ?
- have a legal and ethical responsibility to assess and manage pain
- to educate pt’s on pain methods
- to ensure all precautions are taken
What should we monitor for in pt’s that use opioids ?
- low BP (increased risk for orthostatic hypotension)
- Respiratory rate and depth (depresses respiratory system)
- must as assessed frequently to ensure they aren’t oversedated
What is physical dependence ?
when the body starts to go into withdrawal if they don’t have the drug
What is addiction ?
when you start seeking out more
- not physically needing it but compulsively wanting it
- becomes a disorder
