The Pathophysiology and Treatment of Pain.pdf

The Pathophysiology, Recognition,

and Treatment of Pain

VMED 5267

February, 2009

Dr Lauren A Beebe

PAIN

1. An unpleasant sensory or emotional

experience associated with actual or potential

tissue damage, or described in terms of such

damage.

2. A category of complex experiences, not just a

single sensation produced by a single

stimulus.

The function of pain

• Protects the individual from self trauma

– rubbing eyes too hard

• Protects the individual from thermal injury

• Promotes behavior to initiate healing

– Reduction of activity, appetite

• Signals the body to increase blood flow to

injured tissues and initiate healing

• Makestheindividual“learn”toavoidapainful

situation again.

Individuals who can not feel pain

• Congenital insensitivity to pain and anhydrosis

• No pain sensation

– May chew through tongue

– Will not recognize pain caused by appendicitis

– Die from sepsis

• No heat sensation, unable to sweat

– Die from hyperthermia

If pain is beneficial, why should we

treat it?

• Pain increases metabolic demands

• Pain inhibits healing

• Pain complicates illness

• Paincanshortenapatient’slife

• Untreated pain can initiate a systemic

inflammatory response syndrome, leading to

multiple organ failure. (SIRS and MODS)

• Clients expect us to treat for pain