Pain Management and Analgesia Flashcards
Define anesthesia
central nervous system depression resulting in amnesia, unconsciousness, lack of sensation, and immobility in response to painful stimulus
Define analgesia
absence of pain in response to painful stimulation
Define sedation
state of mental calmness, decreased response to environmental stimuli, and muscle relaxation
Signs of acute pain in cats
-Quiet/immobile, decreased social interactions
-Sensitive to touch
-Hiding
-Excessive licking/chewing at site
-Hyperventilation, tachycardia, hypertension
-Hunched posture
Signs of chronic pain in cats
-Reduced activity
-Disinterest in the environment
-Anorexia and weight loss
-Poor grooming
-Lameness/gait abnormalities
Signs of acute pain in dogs
-Vocalization (whimpering)
-Disinterest/withdrawn
-Aggression
-Comfort seeking
-Reluctant to move
-Rapid shallow breathing (panting)
-Guarding injury/apprehensive
-Restlessness
Signs of chronic pain in dogs
-Weight loss
-Depression and lethargy
-Reduced appetite
-Muscle atrophy
-Lameness/gait abnormality
Signs of pain in rabbits
-apprehensive, dull, inactive, and “hunched” appearance
-Aggressive behavior and increased excessive scratching and licking
-Exaggerated reactions to handling
-Increased respiratory or change in feeding activity
Signs of pain in rodents
-Decreased activity, piloerection un-groomed appearance, or licking and scratching
-Abnormal stance with ataxia and may become aggressive with handling
-Vocalization
-Inappetence or change in feeding and change in normal group behavior
Signs of pain in birds
-Escape reactions with vocalization and excessive movement
-Increased heart and respiratory rates
-Inappetence and inactivity with drooping, miserable appearance
-When handled, escape reaction replaced by a state of tonic immobility
Define nociception
Processing a noxious stimulus (mechanical, thermal, or chemical) resulting in perception of pain by the brain
Define nociceptors
-Receptors in neurons which are activated through various noxious stimuli
-Exist at the free nerve endings of primary afferent neurons
-Encapsulated
Where is the only place in the body that pain receptors are not found?
The brain
When does nociceptive pain occur?
When peripheral neural receptors are activated by noxious stimuli (surgical incisions, trauma, heat, or cold)
List the steps of nociception
- Transduction
- Transmission
- Modulation
- Perception
Define Transduction
-Conversion of noxious stimulus into electrical energy by a peripheral nociceptor
-Can be inhibited by NSAIDs, opioids, and local anesthetics
Define Transmission
-Propagation through the peripheral nervous system via first-order neurons
-Transmission to the spinal cord
-Reduced by local anesthetics and alpha2 agonists
Define Modulation
-When first order neurons synapse with second-order neurons in the dorsal horn cells of the spinal cord
-Influenced by local anesthetics, alpha-2 agonists, opioids, NSAIDs, TCAs, and NMDA receptor antagonists
Define Perception
-Cerebral cortical response to nociceptive signals projected by third-order neurons to the brain
-Inhibited by general anesthetics, opioids, and alpha-2 agonists