(171) Relations among pain variables and vital signs in patients presenting to the emergency department for acute pain, exacerbations of chronic pain, and acute pain with concurrent chronic pain

Abstract

Pain, both acute and chronic, is a common cause for visits to the emergency department (ED). Some ED clinicians believe vital signs can be used as a measure of pain, supporting patient-reported pain intensity, although research has failed to confirm any clinically meaningful relationships. No studies have examined associations among psychological factors, vital signs, and pain intensity in patients presenting to the ED with exacerbations of chronic pain or compared the relationships among these variables in patients with acute pain, patients with exacerbations of chronic pain, and patients with chronic pain experiencing unrelated acute pain.