Key Concepts
Overview
Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) as 'an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.' Pain is the most common reason patients seek healthcare, and the fifth vital sign — the US Pain Society and CNA recognize that effective pain assessment and management is a core nursing competency. Types of pain: - Nociceptive pain: caused by actual tissue damage. Somatic nociceptive (skin, muscle, bone): well-localized, aching, sharp — fractures, surgical wounds, arthritis. Visceral nociceptive (internal organs): poorly localized, cramping, referred — appendicitis, bowel obstruction, MI. - Neuropathic pain: caused by nerve damage or dysfunction. Burning, shooting, electric, tingling quality. Examples: diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, spinal cord injury pain, phantom limb pain. - Acute pain: < 3 months; protective function; associated with sympathetic activation (tachycardia, diaphoresis, HTN). - Chronic pain: > 3 months; often no longer protective; frequently involves central sensitization; sympathetic adaptation occurs (may NOT have tachycardia or diaphoresis despite severe pain). For NCLEX-RN: pain management focuses on: accurate assessment, pharmacological and non-pharmacological...