Babgi, Amani, PhD; Jafferri, Amal, BSN; & Fallatah, Fatimah, BSN

1. MECC-ONS CONFERENCE ON PAIN CONTROL: PAIN ASSESSMENT TOOLS PAIN 2 Classification of Pain Multidimensional Pain Assessment Tools • “Unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage” International Association for the Study of Pain RESULTS Cont. Duration Inferred Pathophysiology BACKGROUND Chronic Pain Acute Pain • Literature was reviewed thoroughly to explore the most popular and reliable pain assessment methods. • It was noted and agreed upon in a number of literature that a clinical approach to pain assessment and management was recommended by the Agency for Health Care, Policy, & Research AHCPR which is known currently as the Agency for Health Care Research & Quality AHCRQ. • The clinical approach was summarized in “ABCDE” format addressing the following3,4,6-9: Neuropathic Pain Nocieceptive Pain • Pain sensed by patients with life-limiting/ life threatening conditions is a crucial issue which requires adequate management. • Until this moment, a number of patients their pain is not under control due to undertreatment that results from inadequate pain assessment. • The pain in the majority of these patients in at least 80-90% can be controlled if an extra step was taken to conduct comprehensive pain assessment using valid and reliable tools appropriate to the patient’s population being assessed. 3,4 • A comprehensive assessment addresses each type of pain and includes the following: detailed history, including an assessment of the pain intensity and its characteristics; a physical examination with pertinent neurological exam; a psychosocial and cultural assessment; and appropriate diagnostic work-up to determine the cause of pain.2,3 Visceral Somatic Central Peripheral Clinical Approach to Pain Assessment & Management METHODS Babgi, Amani, PhD; Jafferri, Amal, BSN; & Fallatah, Fatimah, BSN King Abdulaziz Medical City-WR, Saudi Arabia 1 • Ask about pain regularly. • Assess pain and associated symptoms • systematically. Unidimensional Pain Assessment Tools • Use of extant literature review on pain assessment and management methods to explore reliable methods to assess pain comprehensively in various patients’ population. 1-11 3 2. Believe patient and family reports of pain and what relieves the pain. • Neuropathic Pain Scale RESULTS • Choose pain-control options appropriate for the patient, family, & • setting. • The recently developed Neuropathic Pain Scale provides information about the type and degree of sensations experienced by patients with neuropathic pain. It evaluates eight common qualities of neuropathic pain (i.e., sharp, dull, hot, cold, sensitive, itchy, and deep versus surface pain). The patient rates each item on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 for none and 10 for the “most imaginable.” 4. Deliver interventions in a timely, logical, coordinated fashion. • Pain is a multidimensional human experience that requires comprehensive, holistic evaluation. • In order to assess pain comprehensively, there is a need to find valid and reliable tools which will guide the pain management plan of care. Pain assessment tools are classified as: unidimenssional; multidimensional; and neuropathic.1, 6-10 5. Empower patients and their families. Enable patients to control their course as much as possible REFERRENCES HANDOUT