Pain medications Flashcards
nociceptors
pain receptors
Signs of pain
Abnormal body position, movements, or limping
Increased heart rate
Increased breathing rate
Decreased appetite
Salivation
Vocalization
Tenderness
Restlessness
cells in damaged tissue release ____ _____ ____ and then
prostaglandins, histamine, and leukotrienes
they stimulate new blood vessels to grow and existing blood vessel walls to become leaky.
Bonus - The increased blood flow to the area brings in white blood cells to clear the area of foreign invaders and fibrin to plug the area
Drugs that reduce the inflammatory process include
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), glucocorticoids,
DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide, topical)
etc
pyrogen
A substance that raises body temperature.
pyrogens affect the hypothalamus and reset its thermostat to a higher setting.
NSAIDS primary meds to bring fever down
Pain is carried to the brain
through two different pathways
Type-C fibers are responsible for dull, nonlocalized pain,
Delta fibers are responsible for sharp, localized pain.
Controlling pain and inflammation is achieved through medications such as the following: (6)
NSAIDs
Opioids
Antihistamines
Muscle relaxers
Steroids
Nerve blocks
For the most effective pain control of severe pain, drugs from different categories are used together
Caution: steroids and NSAIDs should not be used together because of the increased risk of gastrointestinal side effects, ulceration, and bleeding.
NSAIDs.
*These drugs work by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase (cox).
NSAIDs offer analgesia and will lower temperatures. Not all NSAIDs block pain to the same degree. Some NSAIDs work very well and some work only for mild pain.
Inflammation analogy
inflammatory process like a waterfall.
The more water (top to the bottom) means more inflammation. If the waterfall is blocked near the top, inflammation is better controlled.
steroids (pain)
Are better anti-inflammatories than NSAIDs,
they appear earlier in the inflammatory cascade.
However, steroids, for some reason, don’t block pain or lower fevers.
NSAIDs side-effects
gastrointestinal bleeding and ulceration.
NSAIDs can also adversely affect the kidneys and cause clotting problems because they inhibit platelet aggregation
Any animal that stops eating, is vomiting, or has abdominal pain may have an ulcer and shouldn’t be given aspirin.
Aspirin
Is an NSAID that’s a/an
Analgesic (relieves pain)
Antipyrexic (relieves fever)
Anti-inflammatory (relieves redness, heat, swelling, pain)
Reducer of platelet aggregation
Liver
Everything below is BONUS
Buffered aspirin (that neutralizes both acids and alkalines) is preferred for dogs. It should be given with food to help protect the dog’s stomach from ulceration
Aspirin isn’t recommended for cats, because they don’t have the enzymes to metabolize this drug.
antipyrexic
Fever reducer
Acetaminophen
Limited use in veterinary medicine and should never be given to cats.
Propionic acid derivatives
Thought to work by inhibiting cyclooxygenase.
Carprofen is used in dogs to relieve arthritis or postoperative pain.
The drug has a long half-life of eight hours.
Processed in liver