Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Nursing Fundamentals > C7- Alterations In Comfort: > Flashcards

C7- Alterations In Comfort: Flashcards

(52 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is pain?

A

Pain is whatever the patient says it is and occurs whenever they say it does.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Essential nursing behavior regarding a patients pain? (Do you believe someone is in pain?)

A

Essential for the nursing to believe that the patient’s pain is real. Nurse needs to be willing o become involved in the patient pain experience and develop effective pain management regimens.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are 4 specific physiologic processes involved in the ability to feel painful stimuli (nociception)?

A

Transduction
Transmission of pain stimuli
Perception of pain
Modulation of pain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Transduction

A

Activation of pain receptors
When the threshold of perception of pain has been reached and when there is injured tissue, the injured tissue releases chemicals that excite/activate the nerve endings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Transmission of pain

A

When pain sensations from the site of an injury or inflammation are conducted along pathways to the spinal cord and then on to higher centers
(No specific pain organs or cells exist in the body)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Perception of pain

A

The sensory recess that occurs when a stimulus for pain is present, it includes the person’s perception of pain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Modulation of pain

A

The sensation of pain is inhibited or modified. Neuronmodulators= opioid compounds that occur naturally in the body, morphine-like chemical regulators in spinal cord and brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Specific theory for pain

A
  • does not explain pain tolerance or allow for social, cultural factors that influence pain*

Specialized nerve fibers are responsible for transmission

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Pain pattern theory

A

doe address the brain’s ability to determine the amount, intensity, and type. DOES NOT address neurological influences or pain perceptions

Excessive stimulation of all nerve endings reduces a unique pattern interpreted by the cerebral cortex as pain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Gate control theory for pain

A

More of a Hollistic approach

Some sort of gate mechanism in the spinal cord that allows nerve fibers to receive pain sensations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Common misconceptions of pain/ pain management

A

-The doctor has prescribed pain relieving medication for me, which I will be given routinely
-If I ask for something for my pain, I will immediately become addicted to the medication
-Sometimes it is better to put up with the pain than to deal with the side effects of the pain medication
-It is better to wait until the pain gets really bad before asking for help. If I take the medication now for moderate pain, it won’t relieve severe pain later on
-I don’t want to bother anyone-I know how buy everyone is
-It’s natural for me to have excruciating pain after surgery. After a few days I should notice it lessening

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Acute pain is

A

Rapid in onset
Varies in intensity and duration
In response to specific injury
Protective in nature
Treatable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Chronic pain is

A

Persists or progresses over a long period of time
Limited, intermittent, or persistent
Periods of remission or exacerbation are common
May worsen in response to environmental-psychological factors
May be resistant to medical treatment
Best managed with around-the-clock pain intervention opposed to as needed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Intractable pain

A

Resistant to therapy
Persistent despite various interventions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Cutaneous pain

A

Superficial (usually involves the skin)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Somatic pain

A

Deep pain
Originates in tendons ligaments bones blood vessels and nerves
(Sprains)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Visceral pain

A

Poorly localized and originates in the body organs
Potentially produced by disease
(Ileus/abdominal pain)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Referred pain

A

Pain originates in one part of the bod it perceived in an area distant from point of origin
( MI (Heart attack)- neck, chest, shoulder, jaw, arm pain)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Neuropathic pain

A

Pain caused by a lesion or disease of the peripheral or central nerves
(Phantom leg pain)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Peresthesia

A

Pins and needles
Numbness and tingling

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Allodynia

Study These Flashcards
A

Painful response to a normally not painful stimuli (cold beverage or light touch)

22
Q

Hypoalgesia

Study These Flashcards
A

Diminished sense of pain from raised pain threshold

23
Q

Hyperalgesia

Study These Flashcards
A

Increase response to a painful stimulus

24
Q

Physical pain

Study These Flashcards
A

Comes from a physical cause

25
Psychogenic pain cause
Physical cause for pain cannot be ID Mental events can cause just as intense pain that results from physical event
26
new standards were released from the Joint Commission requiring hospitals to:
-Identify pain assessment and pain management, including safe opioid prescribing, as an organizational priority. -Actively involve the organized medical staff in leadership roles in organization performance improvement activities to improve quality of care, treatment, and services and patient safety. -Assess and manage the patient’s pain and minimize the risks associated with treatment. -Collect data to monitor its performance. -Compile and analyze data.
27
Pain is often viewed as (VS)?
Fifth vital sign
28
Accept patient’s complaint of pain
Use their own description of the pain
29
Pain assessment principles
History of pain Assess patients own goal of pain relief Nonverbal signs of pain Psychological impact of pain Diagnostic work up
30
PAINAD scale (pain assessment in advanced dementia 5 items
Breathing Vocalization Facial expression Body language Consolable
31
Wong-Baker comfort scale (faces) effective with
Children to compare their pain to a series of faces
32
Age can affect pain in two different age groups, what happens with these age groups?
Infants -cannot verbalize pain Older adults -can have multiple pathologies that cause pain and limit function -polypharmacy -may associate pain with serious illness or death which results in reluctance to admit pain
33
Fatigue
Increase sensitivity to pain
34
Genetic sensitivity
Can increase or decrease pain tolerance
35
Cognitive function
Cognitive impairment= might not be able to report pain accurately if at all
36
Prior experiences of pain
Can increase or decrease sensitivity
37
Anxiety/fear
Increase sensitivity to pain
38
Culture
Can influence how clients express or report pain
39
Subjective assessment of pain: characteristics of the pain
Description of pain Onset/duration Location/site Severity/intensity Patterns Associated/relieving factors
40
Subjective assessment of pain: we want to assess
Characteristics of the pain Medication hx Effects of pain on quality of life Cultural implications (perception of pin and adaptive coping mechanisms) Affective responses (anxiety/depression)
41
Objective pain assessment: what does the nurse assess?
Physiologic responses (VS, nausea, muscle tension, anxiety) Behavioral responses (posture, gross motor function, facial features, verbal expression) Affective responses Subjective/objective (anxiety/depression, interactions with others) There will be ongoing reassessment and follow up
42
Typical sympathetic response to pain
Increase BP Increase pulse and respiration Pupil dilation Muscle Tension Pallor Increase adrenaline output Increase Blood Glucose
43
Typical Parasympathetic Response to pain
Nausea and Vomiting Fainting or unconsciousness Decreased bp Decreased pulse rate Prostration Rapid and Irregular Breathing
44
Behavioral (Voluntary) Response to pain
Moving away from painful stimuli Grimacing, Moaning, Crying Restlessness Protecting the painful area and refusing to move
45
Affective (Psychological) Responses
Exaggerated weeping and restlessness Withdrawal Stoicism Anxiety, Depression, Fear Anger, Anorexia, Fatigue, Hopelessness, Powerlessness
46
Pain threshold
Physiologic attribute that denotes the intensity of the stimulus needed to feel pain
47
Tolerance
The maximum intensity of a stimulus that produces pain person is willing to accept in a given situation
48
When a nursing diagnosis of acute or chronic pain is developed, the diagnostic statement and care plan should identify
-type of pain -etiologic factors, to the extent that they are known and understood -patient’s behavioral, physiologic, and affective responses -other factors affecting pain stimulus, transmission, perception and response
49
Nursing Interventions for Pain
Establishing trusting nurse-patient relationship Initiating non-pharmacologic pain relief measures Considering ethical and legal responsibility to relieve pain Teaching patient about pain Select analgesic that is effective for the type & level of pain Choose an administration schedule on the basis of the drug’s half-life Plan care activities at times of peak medication effect Treat procedural pain appropriately Plan for pain management across the continuum of care
50
What type of nursing intervention for pain should ALWAYS be used first?
Non-pharmacologic pain relief measures
51
3 Classes of Analgesics
Non-opioid analgesics Opioids or Narcotic Analgesics Adjuvant medications (used to enhance pain relief provided by commonly used pain medicines)
52
Non-pharmacologic Pain Relief Measures
Distraction Music Relaxation, breathing Humor Imagery Cutaneous stimulation -Touch, massage -Heat or Cold application -TENS -Acupressure

Nursing Fundamentals (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions