Chapter 35 Flashcards
Acute pain
episode of pain that lasts from seconds to less than 6 months
Addiction
Patter of compulsive use of addictive substances for means other than prescribed
Adjuvant
drugs typically used for other purposes, but also used to enhance the effect of opioids by providing additional pain relief
Analgesic
pharmaceutical agent used to relieve pain
Breakthrough pain
temp flare up of moderate to severe pain that occurs even when the patient is taking around the clock med for persistent pain
Chronic pain
epsiode of pain that last for 6 months or longer; may be intermittent or continous
cutaneous pain
superficial pain usually involving skin or subcutaneous tissue
Dynorphin
the endorphin having the most potent analgesic effect
endorphins
morphine like substances released by body that appear to alter the perception of pain
enkephalins
opioids that are widespread throughout the brain and dorsal horn of the spinal cord and are believed to reduce pain sensation by inhibiting the release of substance P
Exacerbation
period of chronic illness when symptoms reappear
Gate control theory
theory that explains the excitatory pain stimuli carried by small diameter never fibers can be blocked by inhibiting signals carried by large diameter nerve fibers
intractable
severe pain that is extremely resistance to relief measures
Modulation
process by which the sensation of pain is inhibited or modified
Neuromodulators
endogenous opioid chemical regulators that appear to have analgesic activity and alter pain perception
Neuropathic pain
pain that results as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting abnormal functioning of the peripheral nervous system or central nervous system
*burning, electric, tingling or stabbing
Neurotransmitters
substances that either excite or inhibit target nerve cells
nociceptive pain
pain from a normal process that results in noxious stimuli being perceived as painful
nociceptors
pain receptors AKA peripheral receptors
Respond to mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli
opioid
more correct term for narcotic analgesics, since drugs act by binding to opiate receptor sites in CNS
Pain threshold
amount of stimulation required before a person experiences the sensation of pain
Pain tolerance
point beyond which a person is no longer willing to endure pain
perception
conscious process of organizing and interpreting date from the senses into meaningful information
Phantom pain
a sensation of pain without demonstrable physiologic or pathologic substance; commonly observed after amputation