Related Experiment Videos
Assessment of postoperative nausea using a visual analogue scale
J G Boogaerts1, E Vanacker, L Seidel
1Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Centre, Charleroi, Belgium.
Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
|April 11, 2000
Summary
The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) effectively assesses postoperative nausea intensity, showing high agreement with the verbal descriptive scale (VDS). A VAS score of 4 is a critical threshold for administering rescue medication.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Patient Monitoring
- Pain Management
Background:
- Postoperative nausea assessment is challenging due to its subjective nature.
- The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) offers a potential solution for efficient and precise nausea evaluation.
- A pilot study compared VAS scores with a 4-point verbal descriptive scale (VDS) in postoperative patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the agreement between the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a 4-point verbal descriptive scale (VDS) for assessing postoperative nausea.
- To determine the utility of the VAS in measuring nausea intensity and guiding rescue medication administration.
Main Methods:
- 128 surgical patients reporting nausea were assessed using a 0-10 cm VAS and a 4-point VDS.
- Nausea evaluations were repeated post-rescue medication.
- Ordinal logistic regression analyzed the association between VAS and VDS scores and identified VAS cut-off points.
Main Results:
- The VAS was easily understood and utilized by patients.
- VAS scores significantly decreased after rescue medication (5.5 to 1.4, P=0.002).
- An 86% agreement was observed between VAS and VDS, with established cut-off points: 0-1 (no nausea), 1-4 (mild), 4-7 (moderate), 7-10 (severe).
Conclusions:
- The VAS is a valuable tool for quantifying nausea intensity and assessing rescue medication efficacy.
- A VAS score of 4 serves as a critical threshold for initiating rescue medication by healthcare providers.