Assessment of pain in the critically ill

Accurate assessment of pain in the critically ill is undoubtedly a challenge. In this setting, however, the nurse can rise to the challenge and have a significant impact on pain management. Some careful thought and planning may allow the nurse to adapt usual assessment tools for use by patients who have difficulty in communicating. When patients cannot communicate, having accurate knowledge about pain and about the patient's condition can help nurses to make appropriate use of behavioral and physiologic signs. More research is necessary to test specific pain assessment tools in ICU settings. In addition, more studies are needed to document the reliability and validity of scales based on behavioral and physiologic indicators of pain in critical care settings. In the meantime, nurses can take several steps to ensure adequate pain assessment: (1) use all means possible to document the patient's self-report of the pain experience, (2) supplement these ratings with behavioral and physiologic indicators of pain status, and (3) document findings to comunicate the patient's pain to others caring for the patient. A careful thorough attempt to assess pain can ensure better pain, outcomes as well as a quicker and more positive return to health.