Pain Management

Summary:

This text discusses the topic of pain management and covers various aspects related to pain, including its definition, types, nociception processes, neuropathic pain, pain assessment, and pharmacological management. The lesson’s objectives are to identify fundamental concepts of pain, distinguish between types of pain, explain the processes of nociception, describe underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain, and utilize the nursing process for caring for patients with pain.

The text defines pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. It emphasizes the importance of the patient’s report as the most reliable indicator of pain during assessment. The effects of pain on individuals of all ages and its impact on physical and emotional functioning are highlighted.

The types of pain discussed include acute, chronic, nociceptive, and neuropathic pain. Nociceptive pain results from noxious stimuli due to tissue injury, while neuropathic pain is pathologic and occurs from abnormal sensory processing due to nervous system damage.

The nociception processes are explained in four stages: transduction, transmission, perception, and modulation. These processes involve neural responses and neurotransmitters in the perception and modulation of pain.

The text emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive pain assessment, which includes evaluating the location, intensity, onset, duration, aggravating and relieving factors, and the effect of pain on the patient’s function and quality of life. Reliable pain assessment tools are mentioned, such as numeric rating scales, Wong-Baker FACES scale, and verbal descriptor scales.

The pharmacological management of pain involves the use of analgesic agents categorized into three groups: non-opioids (acetaminophen and NSAIDs), opioids (mu agonist and agonist-antagonist opioids), and adjuvant analgesics (local anesthetics, anticonvulsants, and some antidepressants). Multimodal analgesia is recommended, combining drugs with different mechanisms to achieve better pain relief and minimize adverse effects.

Excerpt:

Pain Management

Objectives of the Lesson:

• Identify the fundamental concepts of pain.
• Distinguish between the types of pain.
• Describe the four processes of nociception.
• Explain the underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain.
• Identify methods to perform a pain assessment.
• List the three groups of analgesics agents
• Use the nursing process as a framework for caring for patients with pain.