TABLE 7-33 Required Pain Assessment on Admission for Hospitalized Patients

Do you have pain now? Have you had pain in the recent past? If “yes” to either question, the following data are obtained:

• Pain intensity (use a scale appropriate for the patient population)

• Location (ask patient to mark on diagram or point to the site)

• Quality, patterns of radiation, character (use patient’s own words)

• Onset, duration, variations, and patterns

• Alleviating and aggravating factors

• Present pain management regimen and effectiveness

• Pain management history (medication history, barriers to reporting pain and using analgesics, manner of expressing pain)

• Effects of pain (impact on daily life, function, sleep, appetite, relationships with others, emotions, concentration)

• Patients pain goal (pain intensity and goals related to function, activities, quality of life)

• Physical examination/observation of site(s) of pain