Articles: pain-measurement.
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Establishing a trusting, caring relationship that acknowledges suffering and demonstrates caring is an important first step toward pain management in the elderly. The content of assessing pain in the elderly is similar to that for younger individuals. However, the source of information, manner and timing of assessment, method, and amount of data collected must be adapted to meet the special needs of the elderly individual. ⋯ Many tools currently available for assessing pain may be effective when adapted to accommodate these changes. Interpreting reports of pain and pain-related behaviors in the elderly is complicated by myths and misunderstandings commonly held by the elderly and many health professionals. Careful consideration must be given to the meaning of pain or lack of pain report, as well as personal biases, which may influence the interpretation of pain behaviors.
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Orthop. Clin. North Am. · Apr 1991
The tissue origin of low back pain and sciatica: a report of pain response to tissue stimulation during operations on the lumbar spine using local anesthesia.
In an effort to define the origin of low back pain and sciatica, 193 patients were carefully studied using progressive local anesthesia. These patients had surgery for herniated discs, spinal stenoses, or both. Various tissues were stimulated during the performance of these lumbar spinal operations. This article discusses our observations and the results of that study.
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Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am · Mar 1991
Pain assessment. The problem of pain in the critically ill patient.
In the face of maintaining airways and providing circulatory support, pain assessment may be given a low priority in the critical care unit. On the contrary, given the deleterious effects pain may have for the critically ill or injured patient, pain assessment must be given a high priority to develop effective management plans. In addition to assessing the patient's pain, critical care nurses must be acutely aware of their own personal biases and how those biases might influence perceptions of the patient's suffering.
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Undertreatment of cancer pain is widely recognized. This study sought to determine if inadequate communication about pain intensity between health care providers and their patients could represent a significant factor interfering with the control of cancer pain. One hundred and three consecutive patients with solid tumors and normal mental status examinations were screened within 48 hr during two study periods. ⋯ Improved correspondence was noted with lower patient VAS scores. This study demonstrates that health care provider impressions of patient pain are often quite different than those of the patient and that these discrepancies are most pronounced in patients with significant pain. The routine use of pain assessment tools, such as the VAS, could enhance patient-caregiver communication and improve care for patients with cancer pain.