Pain assessment
Pain assessment
Pain assessment (/peɪn əˈsɛsmənt/) is a critical component in the management of pain. It involves a detailed evaluation of the intensity, location, duration, and quality of pain, as well as the impact of pain on a patient's physical and emotional functioning.
Etymology
The term "pain assessment" is derived from the Latin word "poena" meaning "punishment" or "penalty," and the Old French "assesser" meaning "to tax" or "to assess." In the medical context, it refers to the evaluation or measurement of a patient's pain.
Definition
Pain assessment is a multidimensional approach used by healthcare professionals to evaluate the severity, type, and source of a patient's pain. It includes the use of various pain scales and questionnaires to quantify the patient's pain and understand its impact on their quality of life.
Methods
There are several methods used in pain assessment, including:
- Visual Analog Scale (VAS): This is a measurement instrument that tries to measure a characteristic or attitude that is believed to range across a continuum of values and cannot easily be directly measured.
- Numeric Rating Scale (NRS): This is a segmented numeric version of the visual analog scale in which a respondent selects a whole number (0–10 integers) that best reflects the intensity of their pain.
- McGill Pain Questionnaire: This is a self-report questionnaire that allows individuals to give their healthcare provider a good description of the quality and intensity of pain that they are experiencing.
Related Terms
- Pain Management: This is a branch of medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach for easing the suffering and improving the quality of life of those living with chronic pain.
- Pain Threshold: This is the minimum point at which a stimulus causes pain.
- Pain Tolerance: This is the maximum level of pain that a person is able to tolerate.
- Chronic Pain: This is pain that lasts a long time or grows worse. It may last for months or even longer.
- Acute Pain: This is a type of pain that typically lasts less than 3 to 6 months, or pain that is directly related to soft tissue damage.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Pain assessment
- Wikipedia's article - Pain assessment
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