Intro 1301 - Exam 3 Review: Pain Management, Anesthesia, and Surgical Instruments

A comprehensive vocabulary study set for Exam 3 covering pain pathways, analgesic pharmacology, anesthesia stages and circuits, patient monitoring, surgical instrumentation, and aseptic principles.

Transduction

The phase of the pain pathway where a painful stimulus is converted into an electrical, mechanical, or chemical signal at the injury site.

Transmission

The phase of the pain pathway where the pain signal travels through the nerves toward the spinal cord and brain.

Modulation

The phase of the pain pathway where the nervous system changes or adjusts (increases or decreases) the signal, especially within spinal pathways.

Perception

The phase of the pain pathway where the brain becomes aware of pain ('I hurt').

Rule of Thumb Regarding Pain

Anticipate or predict pain before it occurs, rather than waiting for the animal to show signs of pain.

NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs)

Medications such as carprofen (Rimadyl), phenylbutazone (Bute), and flunixin meglumine (Banamine) that reduce inflammation and pain. Common concerns include GI problems/ulcers in dogs and horses, and renal problems in cats.

Local Anesthetics

Medications such as lidocaine and bupivacaine that relieve pain by blocking nerves from transmitting pain signals.

Alpha-2 Agonists

Medications such as xylazine and dexmedetomidine that provide sedation and moderate/mild pain relief, with varying effects and risks depending on the species and patient.

NMDA-Receptor Antagonists

Medications such as ketamine that help control pain signals and reduce central sensitization.

Anticonvulsants (Pain Management)

Medications such as gabapentin that help manage certain types of pain, including nerve-related pain.

Butorphanol (Torbugesic)

A mixed opioid agonist-antagonist that provides mild pain relief and can partially reverse the effects of pure opioid agonists while still providing some analgesia.

Allodynia

A condition where a stimulus that normally does not hurt becomes painful because nerves that typically pick up normal sensations get recruited by pain nerves to transmit pain instead.

Mu Receptors

Opioid receptors located along the CNS that primarily produce pain relief (analgesia).

Kappa Receptors

Opioid receptors located along the CNS that primarily produce sedation along with some pain relief.

Ceiling Effect (Buprenorphine)

A pharmacological limit where, once buprenorphine attaches to mu receptors, administering higher doses does not yield stronger pain relief, but merely prolongs the duration of action.

Naloxone

A pure opioid antagonist used as a reversal agent to reverse opioid effects.

Multimodal Analgesia

The approach of using two or more different types of pain medications or techniques together to control pain across multiple pathways rather than relying on a single medication.

Hyperalgesia

An increased sensitivity to pain where a stimulus that normally hurts becomes even more painful.

Preanesthetic Agents

Medications administered before general anesthesia to calm and sedate the animal, facilitate restraint and IV catheter placement, reduce fear and stress, provide analgesia, and decrease the required dose of inhalant anesthetics.

Propofol

A short-acting intravenous induction agent used to put an animal under general anesthesia; a notable adverse effect is apnea (temporary cessation of breathing).

Alfaxalone

An induction agent similar to propofol that causes minimal cardiovascular depression and can be administered intramuscularly in aggressive patients.

Stage 3, Plane 2 Anesthesia

The ideal surgical depth of general anesthesia, balanced between being too light and dangerously deep.

Stage 4 Anesthesia

The period of anesthetic overdose where the animal is dangerously deep under anesthesia and is at risk of cardiac arrest and death.

Rebreathing System

An anesthetic circuit used on patients weighing over 7 kg that reuses breathing gases, utilizes a CO2 absorbent canister, requires lower oxygen flow rates, and is more economical.

Non-Rebreathing System

An anesthetic circuit used on patients weighing under 7 kg that uses fresh gases, lacks a CO2 absorbent canister, requires higher oxygen flow rates, and uses more inhalant gases.

Endotracheal (ET) Tube

A tube placed into the trachea to maintain an open airway during anesthesia and connect the patient's respiratory system to the anesthetic machine.

Pop-Off Valve

A safety valve on the anesthesia machine that must always remain open during operation to prevent pressure accumulation that could damage the lungs.

Palpebral Reflex

An involuntary blinking reflex triggered by touching the skin near the eyelids, used to evaluate anesthetic depth.

Pedal Reflex

A reflex checked during anesthesia where the patient moves the hind leg on the same side the veterinarian scratches the ear.

Corneal Reflex

An involuntary rapid blinking reflex that occurs when the cornea is touched.

Mayo Dissecting Scissors

Heavy, strong surgical scissors designed specifically for cutting tougher tissues and materials.

Metzenbaum Scissors

Delicate surgical scissors used specifically for cutting and dissecting soft, fragile tissues.

Littauer (Stitch) Scissors

Surgical scissors specifically designed for cutting and removing sutures (stitches).

Lister Bandage Scissors

Specialized scissors designed for safely cutting and removing bandages.

Hemostatic Forceps

Surgical instruments used to clamp blood vessels to stop or control bleeding (achieving hemostasis); not designed for tissue grasping or holding metal objects like needles or blades.

Kelly Hemostats

Medium-sized hemostatic forceps characterized by transverse serrations that cover only the distal half of the jaws.

Crile Hemostats

Hemostatic forceps featuring transverse serrations that run the entire length of the jaws.

Halstead Mosquito Hemostats

Very small, delicate hemostatic forceps designed to clamp small blood vessels.

Mayo-Hegar Needle Holders

Surgical instruments designed strictly to hold metal suture needles during suturing without tissue grasping capabilities.

Olsen-Hegar Needle Holders

Needle holders designed to hold metal suture needles that also incorporate a built-in scissor cutting edge for cutting suture material.

Spay (Snook) Hook

A specialized handheld surgical instrument featuring a small hook used to locate and exteriorize the uterine horn during spay procedures.

Senn Rake

A small retractor resembling a folded fork used to retract small amounts of skin and superficial tissue to keep a surgical site visible.

Army-Navy Retractor

A thick, broad retractor with an oval hole in the center used to retract larger amounts of skin, muscle, and tissue.

Sterilization

The physical or chemical process that eliminates or destroys all living microorganisms, including bacterial spores, from an object (e.g., autoclaving).

Disinfection

The process of destroying many microorganisms on inanimate surfaces, excluding resistant bacterial spores (e.g., using Rescue disinfectant to wipe tables).

Asepsis

The state in which no living pathogenic microorganisms are present in an environment, achieved via sterilized equipment, clean operating rooms, surgical scrubbing, sterile attire, and draping.

Strike-Through

The contamination event that occurs when moisture or fluid penetrates through a sterile drape or gown, allowing bacteria to migrate from a nonsterile surface to a sterile area.

Toxoid

A biological preparation that stimulates active immune protection, enabling the patient's body to learn how to fight a pathogen (preventative vaccine).

Antitoxin

A biological preparation that supplies immediate, temporary antibodies ready to fight a specific toxin (therapeutic treatment).