Exam #1
Basic Adult Health Master Study Guide Summer 2022 Grade A+
Chapter 9– Pain Management
what is the definition?
an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue
damage or described in terms of such damage
“Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he says it does “All
accepted guidelines consider the patient’s report of pain to be the most reliable indicator of pain,
and it is the most essential component of pain assessment
What are the effects of pain in individuals?
❖ Affects every individual
❖ It is the primary reason people seek health care
❖ One of the most common conditions that nurses treat
❖ Unrelieved pain can affect every system in the body (Table 9-1)
❖ Despite what we know today about pain management, all types of pain continue to be
undertreated
What are the types and categories of pain? Understand the difference in nociceptive pain
and neuropathic pain.
❖ Acute
❖ Relatively short duration that resolves with normal healing
❖ Chronic
❖ Can be persistent throughout a person's life. Categorized as:
❖ cancer pain:
❖ non-cancer: peripheral neuropathy from diabetes, back pain after injury,
osteoarthritis from degeneration
❖ Breakthrough pain: both acute and chronic pain. A continuous chronic
pain with an acute exacerbation in the severity of the pain periodically.
❖ Nociceptive (physiologic) pain: Normal pain transmission because of actual or
impending tissue injury
❖ Somatic – bone, joint, muscle, skin, or connective tissue
❖ Visceral – from visceral organs such as GI tract, pancreas
❖ Neuropathic (pathophysiologic) pain: results from abnormal processing of sensory
input by the nervous system; nerve pain
❖ Nociceptive Pain – includes four specific processes:
This study source was downloaded by 100000869833475 from CourseHero.com on 08 -09-2023 18:51:57 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/152259605/Exam-1-BASICdocx/
, ❖ Transduction – nociceptors are excited by a harmful stimuli that triggers the
release of biochemical mediators
❖ Transmission – the information is transmitted to the brain, where pain can be
perceived
❖ Perception – the patient becomes aware of the pain, intensity, and character;
and applies meaning to the pain
❖ Modulation – Brain sends signals back, releases endogenous opioids, serotonin,
and norepinephrine which can inhibit or reduce pain impulses
❖ Neuropathic Pain – can occur in the absence of actual tissue damage or inflammation,
even when the pain serves no purpose
Pain Assessment
❖ The patient’s self-report is the undisputed standard for assessing the existence
and intensity of pain
❖ Pain cannot always be validated or proved
❖ Nurses are entitled to their opinion as to whether pain exists or not, however, it
cannot interfere with appropriate patient care
Performing the Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Comprehensive pain assessment includes:
◦ Location of pain – sometimes it’s helpful for the patient to point to the pain
◦ Intensity – using an objective rating scale
◦ Quality – what does it feel like? Sharp, shooting, burning, etc.
◦ Onset & duration – when did it start? Is it constant or intermittent?
◦ Aggravating & relieving factors – what makes it better? What makes it worse?
◦ Effect of pain on function or daily living – how has the pain affected the patient's
life?
◦ Comfort goal – what amount of pain can the patient tolerate or continue to
function?
****Patients who are unable to report their pain are at a higher risk for
undertreated pain than those who can report.
Pain Scales:
◦ Numeric Rating Scale – patient states pain on a 0–10-point scale
◦ Wong Baker Faces Scale – patient chooses face that best describes pain
◦ Verbal descriptor scale – uses mild, moderate, severe, very severe, worst possible
◦ Visual Analog scale – a visual line with no pain on one end and worst pain on the
other
This study source was downloaded by 100000869833475 from CourseHero.com on 08 -09-2023 18:51:57 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/152259605/Exam-1-BASICdocx/
Basic Adult Health Master Study Guide Summer 2022 Grade A+
Chapter 9– Pain Management
what is the definition?
an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue
damage or described in terms of such damage
“Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he says it does “All
accepted guidelines consider the patient’s report of pain to be the most reliable indicator of pain,
and it is the most essential component of pain assessment
What are the effects of pain in individuals?
❖ Affects every individual
❖ It is the primary reason people seek health care
❖ One of the most common conditions that nurses treat
❖ Unrelieved pain can affect every system in the body (Table 9-1)
❖ Despite what we know today about pain management, all types of pain continue to be
undertreated
What are the types and categories of pain? Understand the difference in nociceptive pain
and neuropathic pain.
❖ Acute
❖ Relatively short duration that resolves with normal healing
❖ Chronic
❖ Can be persistent throughout a person's life. Categorized as:
❖ cancer pain:
❖ non-cancer: peripheral neuropathy from diabetes, back pain after injury,
osteoarthritis from degeneration
❖ Breakthrough pain: both acute and chronic pain. A continuous chronic
pain with an acute exacerbation in the severity of the pain periodically.
❖ Nociceptive (physiologic) pain: Normal pain transmission because of actual or
impending tissue injury
❖ Somatic – bone, joint, muscle, skin, or connective tissue
❖ Visceral – from visceral organs such as GI tract, pancreas
❖ Neuropathic (pathophysiologic) pain: results from abnormal processing of sensory
input by the nervous system; nerve pain
❖ Nociceptive Pain – includes four specific processes:
This study source was downloaded by 100000869833475 from CourseHero.com on 08 -09-2023 18:51:57 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/152259605/Exam-1-BASICdocx/
, ❖ Transduction – nociceptors are excited by a harmful stimuli that triggers the
release of biochemical mediators
❖ Transmission – the information is transmitted to the brain, where pain can be
perceived
❖ Perception – the patient becomes aware of the pain, intensity, and character;
and applies meaning to the pain
❖ Modulation – Brain sends signals back, releases endogenous opioids, serotonin,
and norepinephrine which can inhibit or reduce pain impulses
❖ Neuropathic Pain – can occur in the absence of actual tissue damage or inflammation,
even when the pain serves no purpose
Pain Assessment
❖ The patient’s self-report is the undisputed standard for assessing the existence
and intensity of pain
❖ Pain cannot always be validated or proved
❖ Nurses are entitled to their opinion as to whether pain exists or not, however, it
cannot interfere with appropriate patient care
Performing the Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Comprehensive pain assessment includes:
◦ Location of pain – sometimes it’s helpful for the patient to point to the pain
◦ Intensity – using an objective rating scale
◦ Quality – what does it feel like? Sharp, shooting, burning, etc.
◦ Onset & duration – when did it start? Is it constant or intermittent?
◦ Aggravating & relieving factors – what makes it better? What makes it worse?
◦ Effect of pain on function or daily living – how has the pain affected the patient's
life?
◦ Comfort goal – what amount of pain can the patient tolerate or continue to
function?
****Patients who are unable to report their pain are at a higher risk for
undertreated pain than those who can report.
Pain Scales:
◦ Numeric Rating Scale – patient states pain on a 0–10-point scale
◦ Wong Baker Faces Scale – patient chooses face that best describes pain
◦ Verbal descriptor scale – uses mild, moderate, severe, very severe, worst possible
◦ Visual Analog scale – a visual line with no pain on one end and worst pain on the
other
This study source was downloaded by 100000869833475 from CourseHero.com on 08 -09-2023 18:51:57 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/152259605/Exam-1-BASICdocx/
