Rating Dyspnea and Pain: "No" is Not Always "Zero"

Nurses routinely assess pain in hospitalized patients; similar assessment of dyspnea is increasing. Most nurses start with a yes-no question when assessing pain or dyspnea; many record "no" as a zero rating, skipping the rating scale. We tested the hypothesis that recording "no" answers as "zero" fails to detect the symptoms that would have been detected with a rating scale. Nurses asked 60 patients yes-no questions about the presence of dyspnea and pain, then asked patients to rate the symptoms using a 0-10 scale. All "yes" answers were followed by a concordant rating (i.e., greater than zero). More than 25% of "no" answers were followed by a discordant rating (> zero). Documenting "no" as "zero" missed information potentially useful in care planning; patients who rate dyspnea above zero are at greater risk of adverse outcomes. This information can also provide opportunity to start a discussion with patients who may benefit from symptom management.