We cannot feel another person's pain. Even in fully alert and aware adults it can be hard to judge the severity of pain. Sometimes it can be quite difficult to pin patients down regarding where the pain is, where it started, whether they have tried any self-treatment to ease it and whether this has worked.
The answer to the standard question of how the severity of the pain rates on a scale of 1-10 may depend on the patient's previous experiences, their associated anxiety and their ability to cope with it.1
If pain assessment is difficult in normal adults, how much more difficult is it for patients who have poor understanding of the English language and/or have experienced a different cultural background, or for children?
Register now for access
Thank you for visiting Independent Nurse and reading some of our premium content. To read more, please register today.
Register
Already have an account? Sign in here