Pain Management Flashcards
Transduction
nociceptors are activated when exposed to noxious stimuli
-mechanical, chemical, or thermal
Transmission
stimuli are converted to electrical impulses and relayed to spinal cord and brain by afferent nerve fibers and unmyelinated C fibers
-neurotransmitters facilitated transmission process to the brain
Pain
- an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that is associated w/ actual or potential tissue damage
- whatever the person says it is
What is the 5th vital sign?
Pain
A-delta Fibers
lead to sharp stabbing local pain
C Fibers
lead to diffuse, dull burning or aching pain
Perception of Pain
- nerve fibers divide in dorsal horn of spinal cord, cross to opposite side, rise upward to thalamus
- thalamus sends message to somatosensory cortex of brain where impulse is interpreted as pain
Pain Threshold
point where person feels lowest intensity of painful stimulus
Modulation
neuromodulators modulate pain sensation
can be modified peripherally or centrally
Examples of Neuromodulators
Serotonin
Endorphins
Enkephalins
Dynorphins
Classifications of Pain
- duration
- etiology
- source/location
Types of Duration
Acute or Chronic
Acute Duration
rapid onset of varying intensity, sore throat, appendicitis, surgery, invasive procedure
Chronic Duration
pain that continues past the expected point of healing for injured tissue, abdominal pain, headache, sickle cell disease, or migraines
Types of Etiology
Nociceptive
Neuropathic