Pain Types and Viscerogenic Pain Patterns Flashcards
What are the characteristics of VASCULAR pain?
Throbbing
Pounding
Pulsing
Beating
What are the characteristics of NEUROGENIC pain?
Sharp Crushing Pinching Burning Hot Searing Itchy Stinging Pulling Jumping Shooting Electrical Gnawing Pricking
What are the characteristics of MUSCULOSKELETAL pain?
Aching Sore Heavy Hurting Deep Cramping Dull
What are the characteristics of EMOTIONAL pain?
Tiring Miserable Vicious Agonizing Nauseating Frightful Piercing Dreadful Punishing Exhausting Killing Unbearable Annoying Cruel Sickening Torturing
What are the contents of the Verbal Descriptor Scale (VDS)?
0 = No pain 1 = Slight pain 2 = Mild pain 3 = Moderate pain 4 = Severe pain 5 = Extreme pain 6 = Pain as bad as it can be
What are symptoms of pain characterized as in patients with cognitive impairments?
Verbal comments such as “ouch” or “stop”
Nonverbal vocalizations (moans, sighs, gasps)
Facial grimacing or frowning
Audible breathing independent of vaocalization (labored, short or long periods of hyperventilation)
Agitation or increased confusion
Unable to be consoled or distracted
Bracing or holding onto furniture
Decreased mobility
Lying very still, refusing to move
Clutching painful area
Resisting care provided by others, striking out, pushing others away
Sleep disturbance
Weight loss
Depression
What is the Nursing Assessment of Pain (PQRST)?
PROVOCATION and PALLIATION. What causes the pain and what makes it better or worse?
QUALITY of pain. What type of pain is present (aching, burning, sharp)?
REGION and RADIATION. Where is the pain located ? Does it radiate to other parts of the body?
SEVERITY on a scale of 1-10. Does the pain interfere with daily activities, mood, function?
TIMING. Did pain come on suddenly or gradually? Intermittent? How often? How long? Does it come at the same time?
What are the characteristics of SYSTEMIC pain pertaining to ONSET?
Recent, sudden
Does not present as observed for years without progression of symptoms
What are the characteristics of SYSTEMIC pain pertaining to DESCRIPTION?
Knife-like (stabbing from the inside out), boring, deep ache
Cutting, gnawing
Throbbing
Bone pain
Unilateral or bilateral
What are the characteristics of SYSTEMIC pain pertaining to INTENSITY?
Related to the degree of noxious stimuli; usually unrelated to presence of anxiety
Mild to severe
Dull to severe
What are the characteristics of SYSTEMIC pain pertaining to DURATION?
Constant, no change, awakens person at night
What are the characteristics of SYSTEMIC pain pertaining to PATTERN?
Although constant, may come in waves
Gradually progressive, cyclical
Night pain
- Location: Chest and shoulder
- Accompanied by shortness of breath, wheezing
- Eating alters symptoms
- Sitting up relieves symptoms (decreases venous return to the heart: possible pulmonary or cardiovascular etiology)
Symptoms unrelieved by rest or change in position
Migration arthralgias (pain/symptoms last for 1 week in 1 joint, then resolve and appear in another joint)
What are the characteristics of SYSTEMIC pain pertaining to AGGRAVATING FACTORS?
Cannot alter, provoke, alleviate, eliminate, or aggravate the symptoms
Organ dependent (examples):
- Esophagus–eating or swallowing affects symptoms
- Heart–cold, exertion, stress, heavy feeling affects symptoms
- GI–peristalsis affects symptoms
What are the characteristics of SYSTEMIC pain pertaining to RELIEVING FACTORS?
Organ dependent examples:
- Gallbladder–leaning forward may reduce symptoms
- Kidney–leaning to the affected side may reduce symptoms
- Pancreas–sitting upright or leaning forward may reduce symptoms
What are the characteristics of SYSTEMIC pain pertaining to ASSOCIATED S&S?
Fever, chills
Sweats
Unusual vital signs
Warning signs of cancer
GI symptoms (nausea, vomiting, anorexia, unexplained weight loss, diarrhea, constipation)
Early satiety (feeling full after eating)
Bilateral symptoms (paresthesias, weakness, edema, nail bed changes, skin rash)
Painless weakness of muscles (more often proximal, but may occur distally)
Dyspnea (breathlessness at rest or after mild exertion)
Diaphoresis (excessive perspiration)
Headaches, dizziness, fainting
Visual disturbances
Skin lesions, rashes, or itching that the client may not associate with the musculoskeletal symptoms
Bowel/bladder symptoms
- Hematuria (blood in the urine)
- Nocturia
- Urgency (sudden need to urinate)
- Frequency
- Melena (blood in the feces)
- Fecal or urinary incontinence
- Bowel smears
What are the characteristics of MUSCULOSKELETAL pain pertaining to ONSET?
May be sudden or gradual, depending on history
- SUDDEN–usually associated with acute overload stress, traumatic event, repetitive motion; can occur as a side effect of some meds (statins)
- GRADUAL–secondary to chronic overload of the affected part; may be present off and on for years
What are the characteristics of MUSCULOSKELETAL pain pertaining to DESCRIPTION?
Usually unilateral
May be stiff after prolonged rest, but pain level decreases
Achy, cramping pain
Local tenderness to pressure is present
What are the characteristics of MUSCULOSKELETAL pain pertaining to INTENSITY?
May be mild to severe
May depend on the person’s anxiety level–the level of pain may increase in a client fearful of a “serious” condition
What are the characteristics of MUSCULOSKELETAL pain pertaining to DURATION?
Can be modified by rest or change in position
May be constant but is more likely to be intermittent, depending on the activity or the position
What are the characteristics of MUSCULOSKELETAL pain pertaining to PATTERN?
Restriction of active/passive/accessory movements observed
One or more particular movements “catch” the patient and aggravate pain
What are the characteristics of MUSCULOSKELETAL pain pertaining to AGGRAVATING FACTORS?
Altered by movement; pain may become worse with movement or some myalgia decreases with movement
What are the characteristics of MUSCULOSKELETAL pain pertaining to RELIEVING FACTORS?
Symptoms reduced or relieved by rest or change in position
Muscle pain is relieved by short periods of rest without resulting stiffness, except in the case of fibromyalgia; stiffness may be present in older adults
Stretching
Heat, cold
What are the characteristics of MUSCULOSKELETAL pain pertaining to ASSOCIATED S&S?
Usually none, although stimulation of trigger points (TrPs) may cause sweating, nausea, blanching
What are all the possible SOURCES of pain?
Cutaneous Deep somatic Visceral Neuropathic Referred