Journal Club

Pain Management: Predicting Outcomes

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Instructions

Take Another Course

Post-Test

Glossary

Objectives:

Upon completion of this Journal Club the participant will be able to:

1. Describe two typical pain assessment tools.
2. List factors that are most related to prediction of pain relief in cancer-related pain management.
3. List one potential use of a cancer pain prognosis scale to improve pain management.
4. Describe the relationship between patient expectations for pain relief and patient satisfaction for pain treatment.
5. Describe the complexity of measuring opioid-related side effects.
6. Describe the four stages of chronic pain processing.
7. List three variables that may be related to racial/ethnic differences in pain staging.

Introduction:

Pain management remains one of the most difficult challenges in patient care. Essential to quality of life, pain management is also complicated by differing perceptions of pain by patients, variations in pain assessment, and potential complications of pain medications.

Pain assessment may include a number of methods and scales.¹ Patient history, physical examination, and pain assessment tools should be included. Descriptive, numerical, and visual analog (VAS) scales allow the patient to describe distress and intensity. Child assessment may require a face-rating scale. Behavior assessment may be most appropriate in elderly patients or others who are cognitively impaired.²