ATI Pain Management
acute pain
transient discomfort or physical distress signaling actual or potential tissue damage and
characterized by an identifiable cause, a short duration, resolution with healing, and few long-
term emotional consequences
addiction
referring to drug addiction: a dependence phenomenon characterized by impaired control over
drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving
adjuvant analgesia
a drug primarily used to treat something other than pain but also enhances pain relief
alternative therapies
treatment approaches, used to replace conventional medical treatments, which are not currently
considered part of conventional Western medicine
analgesia
absence of sensitivity to pain
analgesic
substance used as a pain reliever; a drug that acts to reduce pain, including over-the-counter
drugs such as aspirin as well as those available by prescription only
analgesic ceiling
the dose of a particular drug beyond which additional amounts of the same drug do not increase
the analgesic effect
breakthrough pain
a flaring of moderate to severe pain despite therapeutic doses of analgesics
chronic pain
a feeling of physical distress or discomfort that persists over a long period of time and does not
always have an identifiable cause
complimentary therapies
treatment approaches used to complement conventional medical treatments
dermatome
area of skin supplied with afferent nerve fibers from a single posterior spinal root
efficacy
the ability of a drug to achieve its desired effect
epidural anesthesia
medication injected via a catheter into the space between the dura mater and the lining of the
spinal canal to create a regional nerve block; also called spinal anesthesia
nociceptor
a peripheral sensory receptor for pain, stimulated by various types of tissue injury
narcotic
an outdated umbrella term that has been used to refer to opioids, controlled substances, illicit
drugs, central nervous system depressants, strong analgesics, and drugs capable of causing
physical dependence; opioid is the preferred term for the family of potent pharmacologic
analgesics commonly referred to as narcotics
neuropathic pain
, a type of pain usually felt as burning or tingling and resulting from direct stimulation of nerve
tissue of the peripheral or central nervous system
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
any of a group of drugs that reduce pain, fever, and swelling (inflammation), including aspirin
opioid
one of a group of analgesics that act on higher centers of the brain and spinal cord to modify
perceptions of moderate to severe pain
pain scale
assessment tool used to rate the severity of pain
pain threshold
the point at which a person feels pain
pain tolerance
the level of pain a person is willing to endure
paresthesia
an abnormal burning, prickling, tingling, or numbing sensation or hypersensitivity most often felt
in the extremities and typically associated with neuropathic pain
patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)
a drug delivery system that uses a computerized pump with a button the patient can press to
deliver a dose of an analgesic through an intravenous catheter
physical dependence
an adaptive state characterized by a drug class-specific withdrawal syndrome induced with
abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, or administration of an antagonist
placebo
a pharmacologically inert substance, such as a sugar pill or an injection of sterile water, given
with the implication of effective treatment
progressive muscle relaxation
a systematic, stepwise approach to releasing tension in major muscle groups
somatic pain
generally well-localized pain that results from activation of peripheral pain receptors without
injury to the peripheral nerve or central nervous system, such as musculoskeletal pain
spinal anesthesia
medication injected via a catheter into the space between the dura mater and the lining of the
spinal canal to create a regional nerve block; also called epidural anesthesia
titration
the process of gradually adjusting the dose of a medication until the desired effect is achieved
tolerance
an adaptive state characterized by a decreasing response to repeated constant doses of a drug or
the need for increasing doses to maintain a constant response
transmission
spreading of the pain "message" across the various nerve fibers linking the pain impulse to the
brain
emesis is (medicine) the act or process of vomiting or having vomited
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