Key Terms 2

Question 1

Acute Pain

Answer 1

Pain that is sudden in onset, usually subsides when treated, and typically occurs over less than a 6-week period

Question 2

Agonist

Answer 2

A substance that binds to a receptor and causes a response

Question 3

Allopurinol

Answer 3

Drug Profile A xanthine oxidase inhibitor which prevents uric acid production and is useful in preventing gout attacks

Question 4

Analgesic Ceiling Effect

Answer 4

What occurs when a given pain drug no longer effectively controls a patient’s pain despite the administration of the highest safe dosages.

Question 5

Analgesics

Answer 5

Medications that relieve pain without causing loss of consciousness.

Question 6

Anesthesia

Answer 6

Loss of the ability to feel pain, resulting from the administration of an anesthetic drug or other medical intervention.

Question 7

Anesthetics

Answer 7

Drugs that depress the central nervous system to produce diminution of consciousness, loss of responsiveness to sensory stimulation, or muscle relaxation

Question 8

Antagonist

Answer 8

A drug that binds to a receptor and prevents (blocks) a response.

Question 9

Arthritis

Answer 9

Inflammation of the joints

Question 10

Balanced Anesthesia

Answer 10

The practice of using combinations of drugs rather than a single drug to produce anesthesia.

Question 11

Chronic Pain

Answer 11

Pain resulting from any disorder that is often difficult to treat. Typically it is pain that lasts 3-6 months

Question 12

Gate Theory

Answer 12

The most common and well described theory of pain transmission and pain relief.

Question 13

General Anesthesia

Answer 13

A drug-induced state in which the CNS is altered to produce varying degrees of pain relief throughout the body as well as depression of consciousness, skeletal muscle relaxation, and diminished or absent reflexes.

Question 14

Gout

Answer 14

Hyperuricemia; the arthritis caused by tissue build-up of uric acid crystals.

Question 15

Inflammation

Answer 15

A localized protective response stimulated by injury to tissues that serves to destroy, dilute, or wall off both the injurious agent and the injured tissue

Question 16

Local Anesthetics

Answer 16

Drugs that render a specific portion of the body insensitive to pain at the level of the peripheral nervous system, normally without affecting consciousness. (may also be called regional anesthetics)

Question 17

Malignant Hyperthermia

Answer 17

A genetically linked major adverse reaction to general anesthesia, characterized by a rapid rise in body temperature, as well as tachycardia, tachypnea, and sweating.

Question 18

Morphine Sulfate

Answer 18

Drug Profile A naturally occurring alkaloid derived from the opium poppy, is the drug prototype for opioids and narcotics.

Question 19

NSAID’s

Answer 19

Non Steroidal Antinflammatory Drugs (abbreviation) - A large, chemically diverse group of drugs that are analgesics and also possess antinflammatory and antipyretic activity but are not steroids

Question 20

Neuromuscular Blocking Drugs

Answer 20

NMBA (abbreviation) - A group of drugs that prevent nerve transmission in certain muscles, leading to paralysis of the muscles. They are often used with anesthetics for surgical procedures

Question 21

Neuropathic Pain

Answer 21

Pain that results from a disturbance of function or pathologic change in a nerve.

Question 22

Opiate Analgesic

Answer 22

Natural narcotic drug containing or derived from opium that binds to opiate receptors in the brain to relieve pain.

Question 23

Opioid Analgesics

Answer 23

Synthetic narcotic drugs that bind to opiate receptors to relieve pain but are not themselves derived from the opium plant.

Question 24

Opioid Tolerance

Answer 24

A normal physiologic condition that results from long-term opioid use, in which larger doses of opioids are required to maintain the same level of analgesia and in which abrupt discontinuation of the drug results in withdrawal symptoms.

Question 25

Overton-Meyer Theory

Answer 25

A theory that describes the relationship between the lipid solubility of anesthetic drugs and their potency.

Question 26

Pain Threshold

Answer 26

The level of a stimulus that results in the perception of pain.

Question 27

Pain Tolerance

Answer 27

The amount of pain a patient can endure without its interfering with normal function.

Question 28

Phantom Pain

Answer 28

Pain experienced in the area of a body part that has been surgically or traumatically removed.

Question 29

Physical Dependence

Answer 29

The physical adaptation of the body to the presence of an opioid or other addictive substance.

Question 30

Referred Pain

Answer 30

Pain occurring in an area away from the organ of origin.

Question 31

Rheumatism

Answer 31

General term for any of several disorders characterized by inflammation, degeneration, or metabolic derangement of connective tissue structures, especially joints and related structures.

Question 32

Salicylism

Answer 32

The syndrome of salicylate toxicity, including such symptoms as tinnitus (ringing sound in the ears), nausea and vomiting

Question 33

Somatic Pain

Answer 33

Pain that originates from skeletal muscles, ligaments, or joints.

Question 34

Succinylcholine

Answer 34

Drug Profile The only currently available depolarizing NMBA

Question 35

Superficial Pain

Answer 35

Pain that originates from the skin or mucous membranes.

Question 36

Topical Anesthetics

Answer 36

A class of local anesthetics that are applied directly to the skin and mucous membranes. They consist of solutions, ointments, gels, creams, powders, ophthalmic drops, and suppositories.

Question 37

Visceral Pain

Answer 37

Pain that originates from organs or smooth muscles