Pain scales and pain assessment tools for wound care

The importance of pain relief

Pain relief can be central in wound care to ensure the patient’s well-being and facilitate a smooth treatment. Pain is an individual, subjective experience that needs to be addressed and managed with care. By communicating openly and providing appropriate pain relief before dressing the wound, you can reduce the patient’s potential anxiety and fear of pain, thereby creating a more positive patient experience. It is also advantageous for the patient to receive premedication well before the wound care procedure.

However, it is not only the sensory pain that influences the overall pain experience; expectations also play a role in the perception of pain. Therefore, fostering positive expectations in patients may benefit pain reduction.

Tip!

Distractions such as music and relaxation techniques can significantly enhance a positive pain experience.

Pain assessment scales:

Several pain scales can be used to estimate and assess a patient’s perceived pain. The three most common one-dimensional methods are the numerical scale (NRS), the verbal descriptor scale (VDS/VRS), and the visual analogue scale (VAS). These pain scales can provide you with a clear understanding of the patient’s perceived pain level and help you adapt treatment accordingly. All of these scales can be relevant, and the choice of scale is tailored to the patient’s needs. However, assessing more complex pain conditions requires more sophisticated measurement instruments that assess pain across multiple dimensions: physical, psychological, social, emotional, and existential.

Numerical scale (NRS)

The numerical scale is a commonly used pain assessment method. It involves asking the patient to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 the worst possible pain. The patient selects the number that best describes their pain level.

Visual analogue scale (VAS)

On the visual analogue scale, the patient marks a point along the line to indicate the perceived pain intensity. The line ranges from “no pain” to “worst imaginable pain.” By measuring the distance from the starting point to the marker, you obtain a visual representation of the pain, allowing you as a nurse to assess and document the pain intensity.

Verbal rating scale (VDS/VRS)

The verbal descriptor scale or verbal rating scale is another commonly used pain assessment method. This scale prompts the patient to use words to describe the pain intensity. The scale can range from a simple scale with few points (no pain, mild pain, moderate pain, severe pain) to a more detailed scale with more word choices to describe different degrees of pain. The patient selects the word that best describes their pain level. Using a verbal descriptor scale provides a relatively nuanced understanding of the pain, helping you understand the patient’s experience in more depth. Verbal descriptor scales can be helpful when patients have difficulty using numerical scales.