CHEST PAIN ASSESSMENT/ NUMERICAL PAIN SCALE


Chest pain may occur anywhere and anytime, even at rest.
It may be related to stress or actual damage to the heart.
A patient having a heart attack, usually complains of chest
pain. 



What causes chest pain?
When blood flow is obstructed, oxygen deprivation to the heart muscle results.
This can result in a myocardial infarction ( MI). An EKG will confirm this.

What are some signs and symptoms of chest pain?
Chest pain may feel like pressure, stabbing pain, an extra pair of hands squeezing, or burning.
Learn more about this topic by clicking on the links:
The New Nurse - Hemodynamic Monitoring
and
The New Nurse- Do you know your heart?


Scenario: Paul had surgery on his back two days prior.
He is having pain and requests medication. The nurse
does an assessment.

Numerical pain scale assessment

This a very useful tool when assessing pain. It is 
based on a scale of 0-10 ( 10 being the worst).
A ladder starts from the ground which is the
lowest point. It escalates to the highest point,
so does the pain. Pain scale:

0 = no pain
1-3 = mild pain
4-6 = pain is considered moderate
7-10 = pain is extreme or severe

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