Pain assessment: the cornerstone to optimal pain management.
Pain assessment is critical to optimal pain management interventions. While pain is a highly subjective experience, its management necessitates objective standards of care. The WILDA approach to pain assessment-focusing on words to describe pain, intensity, location, duration, and aggravating or alleviating factors-offers a concise template for assessment in patients with acute and chronic pain.
Fink
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University of Colorado Hospital, Denver 80262, USA. regina.fink@uhcolorado.edu