NUR 751 – Pain Questions and Answers | 2026
Update | 100% Correct.
sensory/emotional ; tissue ; sensory/discriminative ; affective/aversive ; recovery
Pain:
-Pain = an unpleasant ________/_________ experience associated
with actual/potential ______ damage or described in terms of such damage
-Pain experience has 2 dimensions:
1. _______/___________ = allows us to locate tissue damage
2. ________/_______ = "unpleasant" & "emotional" in definition + avoid stimuli that can
damage tissue
-Treating pain = basic human right + decreased complications + increased speed of ________ -
> decreased LOS -> decreased cost
atelectasis ; PNA ; ileus ; stress ; hypercoagulable ; immunological ; psychological
Complications of Untreated Pain:
-CV = MI/dysrhythmias
-Respiratory = ___________ (due to NO deep breathing) -> leading to ___
-GI = ______
-Endocrine = more "_____ hormones" (already high due to surgery)
-____________ state -> DVT/PE
,-Impaired ______________ state -> infections + poor wound healing
-____________ effects = anxiety/depression + fatigue
inflammation ; activate ; sensitize ; cytokines ; bradykinin ; prostaglandins ; P-substance ;
transduction ; conduction
Pain Response:
-Damage & _____________ ->
-Release chemical mediators which __________ and/or __________ the receptor endings =
_________ + __________ + _____________ + _-_________ ->
-Results in ____________ (conversion of noxious stimuli -> electrical nerve impulse/AP) ->
-____________ of nerve impulse (toward spinal cord/brain)
pain/temp/crude ; suffering ; arousal ; modulation ; afferent ; efferent
Anterolateral System:
1. Spinothalamic (aka direct/neospinothalamic) = ____/____/_____ touch
2. Spinoreticular (aka indirect/paleospinothalamic) = "________ pathway"/_________
in response to nociception
3. Spinomesencephalic = pain ___________
1 + 2 = ________ (to CNS)
3 = ________
eye ; autonomic ; reflex
,Anterolateral System:
4. Spinotectal = initiating ___ movement to painful stimuli
5. Spinohypothalamic = __________ + _____ responses to nociception
nociceptors ; A-delta ; C-fibers ; mechanical/thermal/chemical ; threshold
Peripheral Receptors:
-___________ = free nerve endings of _-______ fibers + _-______ (80%) -> detect noxious
stimuli = initiate pain transduction
-Polymodal = __________/_______/_______
-Respond to high ___________ stimuli
glutamate ; AMPA ; NMDA ; substance P ; NK-1
Neurotransmitters:
-A-delta = ____________ -> binds to ____ + ____ (ketamine -> alters pain perception)
receptors post-synaptic
-C-fibers = ___________ _ -> binds to __-_ receptors post synaptic (antiemetics work here as
well)
myelinated ; fast/sharp ; pinprick ; heat ; localized ; short ; skin ; muscle ; joint
Fibers: A-Delta
-____________
-Diameter = 2-5 um + Speed of conduction = 5-15 m/s
, -Type of pain = "____"/_____ + ________ + noxious ____ + well-__________ + _____-term
-Distribution = ____ + _______ + _____
unmyelinated ; smaller/slower ; slow/dull ; burning ; diffuse ; persistent ; tissues
Fibers: C-Fiber
-______________
-Diameter = <2 um + Speed of conduction = 0.5-2 m/s = (________/_______ than A-delta)
-Type of pain = "____"/____ ache + _________ sensation + _______ + ___________
-Distribution = most ________
proprioception/motor ; touch/pressure ; spindles ; pain/temp ; preganglionic ; pain ;
postganglionic
Nerve Fiber Types: Function
a (A-alpha). ____________/_____
b (A-beta). _____/_________
c (A-gamma). muscle ________
d (A-delta). fast ____/_____
e (Type B). ______________ autonomic
f (Type C). slow ____
g (Sympathetic). ______________ autonomic
heavy ; light ; none ; + ; ++ ; +++ ; ++++ ; largest/fastest
Update | 100% Correct.
sensory/emotional ; tissue ; sensory/discriminative ; affective/aversive ; recovery
Pain:
-Pain = an unpleasant ________/_________ experience associated
with actual/potential ______ damage or described in terms of such damage
-Pain experience has 2 dimensions:
1. _______/___________ = allows us to locate tissue damage
2. ________/_______ = "unpleasant" & "emotional" in definition + avoid stimuli that can
damage tissue
-Treating pain = basic human right + decreased complications + increased speed of ________ -
> decreased LOS -> decreased cost
atelectasis ; PNA ; ileus ; stress ; hypercoagulable ; immunological ; psychological
Complications of Untreated Pain:
-CV = MI/dysrhythmias
-Respiratory = ___________ (due to NO deep breathing) -> leading to ___
-GI = ______
-Endocrine = more "_____ hormones" (already high due to surgery)
-____________ state -> DVT/PE
,-Impaired ______________ state -> infections + poor wound healing
-____________ effects = anxiety/depression + fatigue
inflammation ; activate ; sensitize ; cytokines ; bradykinin ; prostaglandins ; P-substance ;
transduction ; conduction
Pain Response:
-Damage & _____________ ->
-Release chemical mediators which __________ and/or __________ the receptor endings =
_________ + __________ + _____________ + _-_________ ->
-Results in ____________ (conversion of noxious stimuli -> electrical nerve impulse/AP) ->
-____________ of nerve impulse (toward spinal cord/brain)
pain/temp/crude ; suffering ; arousal ; modulation ; afferent ; efferent
Anterolateral System:
1. Spinothalamic (aka direct/neospinothalamic) = ____/____/_____ touch
2. Spinoreticular (aka indirect/paleospinothalamic) = "________ pathway"/_________
in response to nociception
3. Spinomesencephalic = pain ___________
1 + 2 = ________ (to CNS)
3 = ________
eye ; autonomic ; reflex
,Anterolateral System:
4. Spinotectal = initiating ___ movement to painful stimuli
5. Spinohypothalamic = __________ + _____ responses to nociception
nociceptors ; A-delta ; C-fibers ; mechanical/thermal/chemical ; threshold
Peripheral Receptors:
-___________ = free nerve endings of _-______ fibers + _-______ (80%) -> detect noxious
stimuli = initiate pain transduction
-Polymodal = __________/_______/_______
-Respond to high ___________ stimuli
glutamate ; AMPA ; NMDA ; substance P ; NK-1
Neurotransmitters:
-A-delta = ____________ -> binds to ____ + ____ (ketamine -> alters pain perception)
receptors post-synaptic
-C-fibers = ___________ _ -> binds to __-_ receptors post synaptic (antiemetics work here as
well)
myelinated ; fast/sharp ; pinprick ; heat ; localized ; short ; skin ; muscle ; joint
Fibers: A-Delta
-____________
-Diameter = 2-5 um + Speed of conduction = 5-15 m/s
, -Type of pain = "____"/_____ + ________ + noxious ____ + well-__________ + _____-term
-Distribution = ____ + _______ + _____
unmyelinated ; smaller/slower ; slow/dull ; burning ; diffuse ; persistent ; tissues
Fibers: C-Fiber
-______________
-Diameter = <2 um + Speed of conduction = 0.5-2 m/s = (________/_______ than A-delta)
-Type of pain = "____"/____ ache + _________ sensation + _______ + ___________
-Distribution = most ________
proprioception/motor ; touch/pressure ; spindles ; pain/temp ; preganglionic ; pain ;
postganglionic
Nerve Fiber Types: Function
a (A-alpha). ____________/_____
b (A-beta). _____/_________
c (A-gamma). muscle ________
d (A-delta). fast ____/_____
e (Type B). ______________ autonomic
f (Type C). slow ____
g (Sympathetic). ______________ autonomic
heavy ; light ; none ; + ; ++ ; +++ ; ++++ ; largest/fastest
