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Pain & Osteoarthritis Background
Pain & Osteoarthritis Background
11
Pharmacology
Professional
09/21/2012

Additional Pharmacology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
What does living "dose to dose" mean?
Definition

Patients taking opioids chronically (including tramadol, which has dual mechanisms of action) will develop psyiological adaptation and live "dose to dose." Althought this can be necessary, they will suffer withdrawal symptoms if a dose is missed or late

Term
Describe withdrawal symptoms
Definition

anxiety, tachycardia, shakiness

 

(basically being an asshole)

Term
Distinguish between psysiological adaptation and addiction
Definition

All patients, including addicts, become "physiologically" adapted to opioids. Addiction is quite different and involves a strong desire or sense of compulsion to take the drug and difficulties in controlling drug - seeking behavior

Term
Describe pseudo-addiction
Definition

This when the patient is quite anxious for the drug and may have used up the medication too quickly - which will appear as addiction, but is actually due to poorly treated pain

Term

If the drug being taken too quickly is a hydrocodone/acetaminophen combo such as Vicodin, over-use will put the patient at risk of?

Definition
hepatotoxicity
Term
If the drug contain propoxyphene over-use can cause?
Definition
death - which happens with this agent not uncommonly!
Term
Describe tolerance?
Definition

usually develops over time to opioids and necessitates a higher dose for the same analgesic response.

Term
Do full opioid agonists have upper doses?
Definition

NO! No celing effect. It is not unheard of to see patients on very high opioid dose due to tolerance.

Term
What is breakthrough pain?
Definition

Break-through pain (BTP) is acute pain that "breaks through" the control provided by a long-acting opioid.

Term
How is break-through pain treated?
Definition

With a fast relief afent - such as an injection or fentanyl sublingual (such as Fentora).

 

In practice, BTP is often treated with generic hydrocodone/acetaminophen.

 

If many doses of BTP medication are needed, then the baselilne opioid dose should be increased. Baseline opioid should be dispensed with a BtP medication, and constipation prophylaxis

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Term

Adjuvant pain medication can reduce the amount of regular pain medicine required. Adjuvants are normally of what class of medication?

Definition
antidepressants and anticonvulsants
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