Amanda Egert; Manu Gill; and Kimberly Lee
Image Description
Pain concept map description: This is a concept map that shows the components of pain. It starts with the definition for pain: an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Then, the concept map continues through the following categories:
Scope
- Minimal
- Moderate
- Severe
Variations
- Acute
- Chronic
- Nociceptive
- Neuropathic
Assessment
- pain scale
- vital signs
- non-verbal (grimacing, moaning, guarding)
- adverse effects of opioids (respiratory depression nausea, pruritis, constipation)
Management
- non-opioids (acetaminophen, salicylates, NSAIDs )
- opioids (morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl; Routes – epidural, PCA, tablets, & PRN due to breakthrough pain)
- adjuvant (baclofen, cyclobenzaprine)
- Anesthetic (local, regional, general)
- Naloxone (for opioid overdose)
Consequences
- Goal
- pain control
- complications of unrelieved pain
- physiological stress response
- impaired mobility
- chronic pain
- sleep disturbances
Physiological Process
- Transduction
- tissue injury & inflammation activate nociceptors
- Transmission
- C fibres transmit the pain impulse to the spinal cord and activate 2nd order neurons that transmit the impulse to the brain
- Perception
- pain is perceived and responses are activated
- Modulation