Welcome

Overview

Pain Management
Definitions of Pain
Common Barriers
Important Terms
Morphine Myths
Duty to Relieve Pain
Five Principles
Fifth Vital Sign
Pain Assessment
Begin with the patient
Tools
Types of pain

Symptom Management
Pain Assessment

Begin with the patient
The patient is the most reliable source of her or his own pain report, and the patient’s own rating of pain using a pain scale to quantify the pain is the first step.

Commonly used pain scales:


It is important also to assess the emotional, spiritual, and family/cultural areas of the patient’s life to develop a total or holistic pain management plan. Pain is subjective and may have several causes, or influences, not all of them physical. Any unresolved or ongoing issues in these areas must be considered when assessing a patient’s pain: