Breaking barriers: Exploring the Full Cup Test (FCT) pain scale at a tertiary care hospital

Pain assessment plays a vital role in the management of patients across various healthcare settings. Accurate and reliable pain evaluation tools are essential for effective pain management and improving patient outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess ease of Full Cup Test (FCT) as a pain scale and to compare use of FCT with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain evaluation.

A cross-sectional study carried out at a tertiary care hospital from December 2021 to July 2022 on individuals with pain at various body locations. Pain severity was evaluated using two pain assessment tools, the FCT and the VAS. The main objectives of the study were to assess correlation and agreement between the FCT and VAS; using Kappa statistics.

Of the total 288 subjects, median age was 42.5 years (IQR: 13-78), and median duration of pain was four months (IQR: one day to forty years). Analysis revealed significant positive correlation (r=0.577) between the Full Cup Test (FCT) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), indicating a relationship between both pain assessment tools. Significant agreement was also observed between FCT and VAS, with a kappa value of 0.596 (p<0.0001). Results however indicated that illiterate patients found it easier to understand FCT compared to VAS.

The Full Cup Test (FCT) emerged as a potentially valuable tool for assessing pain severity in a diverse range of patients. Regardless of age, gender, education level, and ethnicity, FCT demonstrated utility with ease in detecting pain severity.