A

acute pain PAINthat arises suddenly and is often
intense or severe in its quality. Acute pain signals
injury to the body resulting from trauma, surgery,
or disease process that damages tissue. Acute pain
is short lived (typically less than one month) and
goes away when the condition causing it improves
or goes away. Doctors may use the term EUDYNIAto
identify acute pain. Pain that does not go away
when the underlying cause improves becomes
CHRONIC PAIN, or MALDYNIA.

Chest pain may indicate heart attack or

pulmonary embolism and requires

emergency medical evaluation.

People often describe acute pain as sharp, stab-
bing, or burning. Physical signs that accompany
acute pain include

• rapid BREATHING(TACHYPNEA)


• rapid HEART RATE(tachycardia)


• elevated BLOOD PRESSURE


• clammy SKIN


• dilated pupils

Severe acute pain may cause loss of CONSCIOUS-
NESS; severe pain requires prompt or emergency
medical evaluation. Chronic and terminal health
conditions may also cause episodes of acute pain.
Treatment for acute pain is two-pronged, tar-
geting the pain as well as the underlying cause.
ANALGESIC MEDICATIONSare generally effective for
pain relief. There are numerous types of analgesic
medications; doctors often prescribe or recom-
mend them in combinations that target the nature
and sometimes the cause of the pain. For exam-
ple, the NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS

(NSAIDS) block the release of PROSTAGLANDINS, bio-

chemicals the IMMUNE RESPONSEgenerates that acti-

vate both the inflammatory response and NERVE

transmission of pain signals. Narcotic analgesics,

such as morphine and oxycodone, bind to recep-

tors in the brain, preventing the release of neuro-

transmitters. As a result the pain impulse cannot

be transmitted and the brain does not perceive

pain.

COMMON CAUSES OF ACUTE PAIN

ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS APPENDICITIS

ATHLETIC INJURIES BARRETT’S ESOPHAGUS

BONE SPUR BURNS

BURSITIS cancer

cornealABRASION CYSTITIS

DENTAL CARIES DIVERTICULAR DISEASE

DYSMENORRHEA EPICONDYLITIS

EPIDIDYMITIS FRACTURE

GALLBLADDER DISEASE HEADACHE

HERNIATED NUCLEUS PULPOSUS HERPES ZOSTER

ILEUS KNEE INJURIES

MASTITIS NEPHROLITHIASIS

NEURITIS ORCHITIS

OSGOOD-SCHLATTER DISEASE OTITISmedia

PANCREATITIS PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE

PERICARDITIS PERITONITIS

PLEURISY SCIATICA

SHIN SPLINTS SICKLE CELL DISEASE

SINUSITIS SPRAINS AND STRAINS

STREP THROAT SUNBURN

surgery SYNOVITIS

TENDONITIS URETHRITIS

wounds

Nonmedication methods also provide relief

from acute pain. Sometimes just resting the

affected area calms irritation and discomfort.

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