Pain Management and Sleep Cycle

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to pain management and sleep cycles, assisting in exam preparation.

Pain

A personal subjective experience that is an unpleasant sensation caused by noxious stimulation of the sensory nerve endings.

Types of Pain

Mild or severe, chronic or acute, intermittent or intractable, burning, dull, sharp, and referred.

Chronic Pain

Pain lasting longer than 6 months.

Acute Pain

Intense pain of short duration, less than 6 months.

Referred Pain

Pain felt at a site other than the injured or diseased part of the body.

Gate Control Theory

Pain impulses are regulated and blocked by gating mechanisms located in the CNS, primarily in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

Subjective Data Collection in Pain Assessment

Gathering characteristics and descriptions of pain from the patient's perspective.

Objective Data Collection in Pain Assessment

Collecting observable data including dilated pupils, increased muscle tension, heart rate, respiration, nausea or weakness, diaphoresis, and blood pressure.

Non-invasive Pain Relief Techniques

Methods like facial expressions, cutaneous stimuli (heat, cold, massage), distraction, relaxation, guided imagery, meditation, hypnosis, and biofeedback.

Invasive Pain Relief Approaches

Methods including nerve blocks, epidural analgesics, neurosurgical procedures, and acupuncture.

Synergistic Impact of Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance & Depression

The combined effect of these factors can create a vicious cycle making pain difficult to treat.

Pain Scales

Tools that allow patients to articulate their pain more clearly, such as visual analog scale, numeric scale (0-10), and verbal descriptive scale.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep

A sleep phase important for cognitive restoration, beginning approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep.

Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) Sleep

A sleep phase where biological functions slow down and the body recovers.

Stage 1 NREM Sleep

Light sleep lasting only a few minutes.

Stage 2 NREM Sleep

Sleep lasting 10-20 minutes where relaxation progresses.

Stage 3 NREM Sleep

Initial stage of deep sleep lasting 15-30 minutes with decreased vital signs and hormonal secretion.

Stage 4 NREM Sleep

Deepest stage of sleep lasting 15-30 minutes that restores the body.

Symptoms of Pain

May include facial expressions, withdrawal, tachycardia, increased muscle tension, and changes in vital signs.

Vivid Dreams

Dreams that occur during REM sleep, significant for memory storage and learning.

Sleepwalking

A potential occurrence during deep sleep (Stage 4 NREM) when the body is in a restful state.

Enuresis

Voiding during sleep, which can also happen in deep sleep stages.

Distraction Techniques for Pain

Methods used to divert attention from pain such as guided imagery and relaxation.

Biofeedback

A non-invasive technique used to gain control over physiological functions.

Epidural Analgesics

Invasive pain relief method that involves injecting pain-relieving medication into the epidural space.

Visual Analog Scale

A pain scale where patients mark their pain intensity on a horizontal line.

Numeric Pain Scale

A scale from 0 to 10 used for patients to rate their pain intensity.

Nerve Blocks

Invasive technique involving the injection of anesthetic near nerves to relieve pain.