"That Blood Pressure Cuff Really Hurts!" What Every CRNA Should Know About Pain Sensitivity-Presentation Slides

Presentation Slides

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This document provides crucial information on pain sensitivity that every Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) should know. Pain sensitivity refers to an individual's response to painful stimuli and is influenced by various factors like genetics, previous experiences, psychological factors, and environment. The document outlines the types of sensory nerve fibers and the pain pathway, detailing transduction, transmission, and perception. Techniques such as Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) can be used to measure pain sensitivity by evaluating various stimuli like pressure, mechanical, vibratory, electrical, and thermal. QST can be static or dynamic, assessing peripheral neuropathy and central sensitization, respectively. It also explains different pain sensitivity tests related to nerve fibers and stimuli, such as thermal testing, pressure detection, vibration detection, and mechanical pinprick summation. Understanding pain sensitivity is crucial for improving anesthesia practice and surgical outcomes. Although there are ongoing studies assessing the predictive role of pain sensitivity measures in postoperative pain, the document suggests that the use of QST in clinical care to forecast postoperative pain in surgical patients is not clear at present. Further research is needed to explore the potential applications of pain sensitivity testing in predicting postoperative outcomes and improving patient care.

Keywords

pain sensitivity

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

CRNA

Quantitative Sensory Testing

QST

pain pathway

sensory nerve fibers

peripheral neuropathy

central sensitization

postoperative pain prediction