Introduction
This essay will aim to look at the main principles of cancer pain management on an acute medical ward in a hospital setting. My rational for choosing to look at this is to expend my knowledge of the chosen area. Within this pieces of work I will look to include physiological, psychological and sociological aspects of pain management.
Pain, which is defined in its widest sense as an emotion which is the opposite of pleasure (White, 2004, p.455), is one of the major symptoms of cancer, affecting a majority of sufferers at some point during their condition (De Conno & Caraceni, 1996, p.8). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2009, online) suggests that relief from pain may be achieved in more than 90 percent of patients; however, Fitzgibbon and Loeser (2010, p.190) stress that pain may often be undertreated, even in the UK. Foley and Abernathy (2008, p.2759) identify numerous barriers to effective pain management, among which are professional barriers such as inadequate knowledge of pain mechanisms, assessment and management strategies.
Physiology of Cancer Pain
There are different types of pain which may be suffered by an individual with cancer, with some patients suffering only one type of pain, but others experiencing a range of all three types. Identifying the type of pain suffered is the first major step in ensuring effective treatment, as not all respond to different treatments in the same way (De Conno & Caraceni, 1996, p.9).
Somatic pain is that in which nociceptors in the cutaneous or deep tissues are activated by noxious stimuli. This is usually characterized by dull, aching pain which is well localized. This type of pain may be commonly experienced by individuals with metastatic bone pain or those who h...
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...newicht and Dunford (2004), physiotherapists, occupational therapists, Doctors, nurses, specialist pain teams and dieticians all care for the patient at once.
Effective treatment of cancer pain is essential for ensuring the best outcomes for cancer patients, in terms of physical, psychological and social aspects. Although there are no NICE guidelines for management of cancer pain, WHO guidance should be used to inform clinical practice. Careful assessment is a critical element of the process to ensure that patients are offered the treatment which is likely to offer the best outcomes, yet without providing a greater than necessary risk of complications such as tolerance and addiction to opioids. The main outcome that this paper highlights is that “Pain is what the patient says it is and exists when he says it does” (McCaffery 1983
cited in Sofaer 1992 pp14).
In my opinion cancer patients can alternative pain management and higher dose of pain medicine so that they can have some comfort during their stage of dying.
End of life pain management is an important function of hospice organizations. Families and patients alike are comforted by the fact that, at the end, there are resources which allow for a comfortable death. Much of the quality of hospice care is determined by patient family members. In 2005, the Brown Medical school conducted research with regard to t...
...tive pain management and Improvement in patients outcomes and satisfaction [Magazine]. Critical Care Nurse, 35(3), 37,35,42. Retrieved from
Assessing and managing pain is an inevitable part of nursing and the care of patients. Incomplete relief of pain remains prevalent despite years of research due to barriers such as lack of kn...
In medical school/pharmacology school, medical professionals are taught to treat severe pain with opioids. However, opioids should be prescribed with the possibility of future dependency in mind. Physicians often struggle with whether they should prescribe opioids or seek alternative methodologies. This ethical impasse has led may medical professionals to prescribe opioids out of sympathy, without regard for the possibility of addiction (Clarke). As previously stated, a way to address this is use alternative methods so that physicians will become more acquainted to not not treating pain by means of opioid
Licensed practical nurses (LPN 's) fill an important role in modern health care practices. Their primary job duty is to provide routine care, observe patients’ health, assist doctors and registered nurses, and communicate instructions to patients regarding medication, home-based care, and preventative lifestyle changes (Hill). A Licensed Practical Nurse has various of roles that they have to manage on a day to day basis, such as being an advocate for their patients, an educator, being a counselor, a consultant, researcher, collaborator, and even a manager depending on what kind of work exactly that you do and where. It is the nursing process and critical thinking that separate the LPN from the unlicensed assistive personnel. Judgments are based
on Pain Care will evaluate the adequacy of pain assessment, treatment, and management; identify and
The major concepts deduced from the hypothesis fall under three categories: (1) multimodal intervention, (2) attentive care, and (3) patient participation. Multimodal intervention includes the concepts of potent pain medication, pharmacological adjuvants, and non-pharmacological adjuvants. Attentive care relates to the assessment of pain and side effects and intervention along with reassessments. Patient participation includes goal setting and patient education. The resulting outcome of these three categories working together is the balance between analgesia and side effects.
According to World Health Organization, cancer pain can be controlled effectively with oral morphine in up to 90% of individuals with cancer (Ahmed, et al. 2010). Cancer patients benefit significantly from the effects of morphine on severe or chronic pain (Weil and Winifred 2004). A common treatment plan for cancer patients is to follow the “analgesic ladder” approach. The first step in this approach is to administer a non-opioid analgesic, such as aspirin, paracetamol, or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (Hanks, et al., 1996). Secondly, a week opioid is administered to the individual. Once the weak opioid is proven inadequate the third step is followed and a strong opioid is administered. ...
Conclusions. An adequate and clear understanding of the concept of pain and implementing interventions of pain treatment and management is essential in the clinical settings. Understanding the concept of pain is necessary for its relationships with other concepts that are related and similar to the pain experience for theory building. The in the end, understanding the concept of pain will ultimately benefit the patient and lead to better and approp...
Once upon a time, my best friend, Bryan Martinez, often heard his mother’s medical conversations with friends. One day at school, our teacher confronted Mrs. Martinez and told her that she was able tell that Bryan was a son from a nurse. Apparently there was an incident at school where a little boy was acting out and Bryan told our teacher that the little boy was agitated, and to give him some medication to calm him down. As demonstrated by Bryan, nursing is ongoing profession that promotes the health and well-being of individuals.
Pain affects everyone; it sends thousands of people to hospitals, clinics and private care providers daily. A primitive warning system, pain is an unpleasant but important function for survival. In the physiological sense pain is the uncomfortable sensation felt by the sensory nerves (Taber’s). Pain can be described in a number of ways such as burning, aching or crushing. When assessing pain in her patient, a nurses first measure would be a question; “are you having pain”? No one will dispute the fact that this is the most reliable method of assessment, because pain is exclusively subjective in nature. Most schools teach that ‘pain is present when the patient says it is’.
Ferrell, B., Levy, M. H., & Paice, J. (2008). Managing pain from advanced cancer in the
Aranella, Cheryl, MD., M.P.H. Use of Opiates to Manage Pain in the Seriously and Terminally Ill Patient. American Hospice Foundation, 2006. Web. 7 November 2011.
What is the central component of advanced practice nurses (APNs) direct clinical practice and patient/families?