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Here's a short 15 question quiz that evaluates your pain management knowledge. This is excerpted from a Cook County Health Bureau Survey. All questions are true or false format. The answers are at the end of the page.
- Changes in vital signs are reliable indicators of pain severity.
- Because of their underdeveloped nervous system, children under age of two years have little sensitivity to painful stimuli and limited memory of painful experiences.
- If a patient can be distracted from his/her pain, this usually means that he/she does not have high pain intensity.
- Patients may sleep in spite of severe pain.
- You know a patient with sickle cell anemia is "drug seeking" when the location of pain changes sites and the reticulocyte count is low.
- Beyond a certain dosage of nonopioid analgesics (e.g. nonnarcotics, Motrin, Tylenol,, etc.) increases in dosage will not increase pain relief.
- Nondrug interventions (for excample, heat, music, imagery, etc.) are very effective for mild to moderate pain control but are rarely helpful for more severe pain.
- Patients with a history of substance abuse who require intravenous opioids should not be given opioids for pain because they are at high risk for repeat addiction.
- Beyond a certain dosage of opioid (morphine, Dilaudid, codeine, etc.), increases in dosage will not increase pain relief.
- Elderly patients cannot tolerate strong pain medications such as opioids for pain.
- Opioid analgesics are best ordered on a p.r.n. basis to encourage minimal dosing and reduce the risk of addiction.
- Children can reliably report the intensity of their pain.
- A placebo can be used to determine if pain is real.
- Following an initial dose of an opioid analgesic, subsequent doses should be adjusted in accordance with the individual patient's response.
- Based on one's religious beliefs, a patient may think pain and suffering is necessary.
Answers
- False
- False
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
- False
- False
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
Source: Family Practice News, 6/1/04.
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