Pain Assessment

Front 1

Factors to Assess:

Location of Pain:

Back 1

Where is the pain Located?

Depending on area of pain, use inspection to determine if body part is swollen, discolored or warm to touch.

Front 2

Can you point to where the pain is?

Back 2

Have pt use hand to locate the area where pain originates and then spreads.
Use light palpating over area identified by pt

Front 3

Aggravating Factors:

Does your pain get worse when you move?

Back 3

When positioning of body part aggravates pain, determine if ROM is altered.

Front 4

Are there other things that you do that make your pain worse?

Is there anything that makes pain better?

Back 4

OBSERVE: pts facial expression and movement when attempts physical activity that typically aggravates pain.

Front 5

(PQRSTU)
P

Back 5

Precipitating or aggravating factors:

Nursing Interventions: Avoid those activities that cause pain. Teach pt and family to avoid same activities.

Front 6

(PQRSTU)
Q

Back 6

Quality
Suggest changing pharmacological interventions if the quality of pain changes.

Front 7

(PQRSTU)
R

Back 7

Relief Measures

Use measures that the pts use to relieve pain, as long as they are safe and appropriate.

Front 8

(PQRSTU)

R

Back 8

Region
Posistion pt off affected area, Apply local Tx directly over pain site( heat, cold tx)

Front 9

(PQRSTU)

S

Back 9

Severity
Change or revise interventions, depending on success of one intervention in reducing severity

Front 10

(PQRSTU)
T

Back 10

TIming (onset, duration, and pattern)

Administer analgesics so that the peak action occurs when pain is most acute (dressing change, exercise)

Front 11

(PQRSTU)

U

Back 11

effect of pain on pt

Schedule activities that are important to the pt to the pt during the tiem of say when pt feels pain the least.

Front 12

Routine clinical approach to pain Assessment and Management (ABCDE)

Back 12

A: Ask about pain regularly

B: Beleive the pt and family in their report of pain and what relieves it.

c: Choose pain control options appropriate for pt, family, and setting.

D: Deliver interventions in a timely, logical, and coordinated fashion.

E: Empower pts and their families.
Enable them to control their course to the greatest extent possible.