Question

1. What are endorphins and how do they reduce pain?

1. 2. List and describe the different types of pain.

1. 3. Give reasons why older adults often do not express pain.

1. 4. Identify the nonverbal cues you would look for when assessing the pain of a confused patient.
2. 5. How does transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) differ from percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS)?
3. 6. When applying heat, what precautions should you consider?
4. 7. What are the basic categories of medication for the relief of pain?

1. 8. What are the disadvantages of intramuscular or subcutaneous injection of medication?

1. 9. Describe how epidural analgesia is administered.

Answer 1

1)Endorphins are endogenous opioid neuropeptides and peptide hormones in humans and other animals. They are produced and stored in the pituitary gland. They act on the opiate receptors in our brains, and reduce pain and person also feels happy

2) Acute pain.(Acute pain can be mild and last just a moment, or it might be severe and last for weeks or months)

Chronic pain . Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing and usually lasts longer than six months.

Neuropathic pain.(caused by damage or disease affecting the somatosensory nervous system)

Nociceptive pain.(pain from physical damage or potential damage to the body.eg injury during dental procedure)

Radicular pain.(pain that radiates from your back and hip into your legs through the spine. The pain travels along the spinal nerve root)

3) failure to report in old age because they may view that it is an expected part of old age or because they are fearful of different tests

4) crying, moaning, sighing, making fewer sounds than is typical, rubbing a body area, decreased movement, , reluctance to move.

5)  PENS ..needles are inserted either around or immediately adjacent to the nerves serving the painful area and are then stimulated while in the TENS the needles are inserted to skin not to nerves

6) Never apply heat for more than 20 minutes at a time.

Allow skin to return to normal temperature before repeating applications.

Check the heat applicator is not leaky to avoid burn, if the applicator is electrical then use it very cautiously

7) Non-opioid painkillers – this includes paracetamol. ...Anti-inflammatory(NSAIDS) drugs – such as ibuprofen or naproxen. ...Compound painkillers – this is when two different drugs are combined into one. ...Opioid painkillers – such as codeine, tramadol and morphine.

8) Expert is needed to administer drug via IM.The absorption of the drug is determined by the bulk of the muscle and its vascularity The slower absorption is a common disadvantage of subcutaneous administration

9) The area is scrubbed with the iodine to avoid infection then needle is inserted to the lower part of spine , While you sit or lie on your side in bed, a small amount of medication is injected into the spinal fluid to numb the lower half of the body. ... The epidural provides continued pain relief .