8 Safe Pain Management in Practice Free Online FlashCards

What should an individualized pain assessment cover?

Assess pain location, onset, duration, pattern, quality, severity, cause, associated symptoms, effects on function, prior treatments, and relevant safety factors.

What is a multimodal pain-management plan?

A multimodal plan combines complementary approaches when appropriate, such as movement or physical therapy, heat or ice, sleep support, behavioral strategies, and carefully selected medicines.

How can a person reduce the risk of duplicate acetaminophen?

Check every product’s active ingredients and ask a clinician or pharmacist before combining products. Multiple medicines may contain acetaminophen, and excess can cause severe liver injury.

What are important risks of opioid medicines?

Opioids can cause sleepiness, constipation, impaired coordination, physical dependence, opioid use disorder, and life-threatening respiratory depression.

Why are unreviewed combinations of opioids and sedatives dangerous?

Combining opioids with alcohol, benzodiazepines, sleep medicines, or other sedatives can cause profound sedation and slowed or stopped breathing. Such combinations require prescriber review and a safety plan.

Which types of adjuvant medicines may help selected nerve-related pain?

Some antidepressants, antiseizure medicines, topical lidocaine, or capsaicin may help selected nerve-related pain. Choice depends on the person’s situation and potential benefits, risks, and interactions.

What medication-list practice helps reduce medication errors?

Keep one current list that includes prescription and nonprescription medicines and supplements, and share it with clinicians and pharmacists.

What should a person do before changing a medicine dose or schedule?

Use medicines exactly as directed. Do not take extra doses, use another person’s medicine, or change a dose or schedule without checking with a clinician or pharmacist.

What are the priority steps for a suspected opioid overdose?

Suspected overdose requires an immediate call to 911. Give naloxone if available according to its instructions, stay with the person, and await emergency help.

Why is emergency evaluation needed after naloxone appears to work?

Emergency evaluation is still needed even if naloxone wakes the person, because naloxone can wear off before the opioid does.

What should treatment goals measure besides pain relief?

Set concrete functional goals alongside pain relief, such as improving sleep or walking farther, and agree on how progress will be judged.

What is a safer approach when long-term opioid therapy needs to change?

Do not abruptly stop long-term opioid therapy without a clinician’s plan. If a change is appropriate, a gradual, individualized plan with continued pain care is generally safer.