Assessment, measurement, and history

Abstract

Assessment of pain in patients with acute pain is often undertaken quickly, with a view to rapid titration of analgesia and removal of the problem. As with chronic pain, the assessment of acute pain should include an appropriate pain history, including the evaluation of pain intensity, location, character, and changes. In chronic pain management, the pain history forms part of the complete biopsychosocial assessment of the patient in a multidisciplinary environment. In emergency medicine, triage scales, such as the Manchester Triage Scale and the Australasian Triage Scale, incorporate categorical or numeric descriptors of pain as part of their overall patient assessment. Reliable and accurate assessment of acute pain is necessary to ensure safe and effective pain management. In acute pain management, assessment must be undertaken at appropriate frequent intervals. Pain intensity is measured and recorded using one or more scales/tools as detailed below under Measurement.