Correlation of change in visual analog scale with pain relief in the ED.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the validity of change in visual analog Scale (VAS) as a measure of pain relief using a verbal descriptor Scale (VDS) of change in pain.


METHODS
A prospective observational study of emergency department patients measured pain with VAS and recorded verbal report of change in pain.


RESULTS
One thousand four hundred ninety patients yielded 1999 comparisons between change in VAS and VDS. Correlation of change in VAS and VDS of change in pain was rho = 0.667 ( P < .001). A wide range of change in VAS, large standard deviations for the mean change in VAS, and discordance in the direction of change in VAS were present within each verbal descriptor category.


CONCLUSIONS
Change in VAS is moderately correlated with a VDS of change in pain. Wide variability in change in VAS and discordance with a VDS demonstrate that change in VAS is not a valid indicator of pain relief for individual patients.
Fosnocht
David E
DE
Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. davefosnocht@comcast.net
Chapman
C Richard
CR
Swanson
Eric R
ER
Donaldson
Gary W
GW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000698:Analgesia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values