Introduction
The intensity of a patients’ pain is clearly subjective. Facial expression and demeanour may give some clues but are not reliable. Physiological parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure lack sensitivity and specificity. Better assessment results from simply asking the patient1.
A departmental culture that encourages patients’ self reporting of pain and intensity is also encouraged. A number of scales or tools are available for patients to indicate their pain intensity, response to analgesic agents, or both1.