NUR 325 Pain
- what is pain?
Answer whatever the person experiencing says it is, existing whenever he says it does
- what is the most reliable indicator of pain?
Answer patient's self-report
- what is the scope of pain?
Answer no pain -> minimal pain -> moderate pain -> severe pain
- what are the characteristics of pain?
Answer acute or chronic, generalized or localized, intermittent or constant
- what does nociceptive pain feel like?
Answer aching, throbbing
- what does neuropathic pain feel like?
Answer burning, short, shooting
- what is visceral pain?
Answer arises from visceral organs, poorly localized
- what is somatic pain? 1 / 2
Answer arises from skin, muscles, and joints
- what causes neuropathic pain?
Answer damage to the peripheral nerves and CNS
- what is transduction?
Answer noxious stimuli cause cell damage -> release of sensi- tizing chemicals that activate nociceptors -> action potential triggered
- what is transmission?
Answer action potential goes from the site of injury to the spinal cord to the brainstem and thalamus to the cortex for processing
- what is perception?
Answer conscious experience of pain
- what is modulation?
Answer neurons descend the spinal cord to release substances that inhibit nociceptive impulses
- what are the psychosocial consequences of untreated pain?
Answer fear, anger, depression, anxiety, difficulty maintaining relationships, suicidal thoughts
- what are the physiological consequences of pain in the cardiovascular system?
- / 2
Answer increased HR, cardiac output, and coagulation