Factors Affecting Pain Experience
This factor can influence pain tolerance, with some cultures encouraging stoicism and others open expression.
What is culture?
This heightened emotional state can amplify pain perception.
What is anxiety?
“Sharp, burning, or throbbing” are descriptors of this pain characteristic.
What is quality of pain?
The gold standard for pain assessment, where the patient describes their own pain.
What is patient self-report?
Studies suggest that these population-based differences may affect pain perception due to genetic and sociocultural influences
What are ethnic variables?
A patient who had a traumatic past pain experience may anticipate worse pain in future procedures due to this.
What is past pain experience?
A nurse asks, “Where exactly does it hurt?” to assess this parameter.
What is location of pain?
Restlessness, grimacing, or guarding a body part are examples of these.
What are nonverbal behaviors?
Women are more likely to report chronic pain, possibly due to hormonal differences and this societal factor
What is gender?
Depression and catastrophizing are examples of these types of pain influencers
What are psychological factors?
“On a scale of 0–10, how bad is your pain?” assesses this.
What is intensity of pain?
If a patient cannot communicate, nurses may check these for clues (e.g., elevated BP or pulse).
What are physiologic measures?
A patient’s strong belief in enduring suffering as a test of faith may alter their pain response.
What are religious beliefs?
A patient’s fear of addiction may lead them to underreport pain due to this type of influence.
What is emotional/cultural stigma
A patient’s report that pain worsens with movement but improves with heat suggests these factors.
What are aggravating/alleviating factors?
A trial of pain medication to confirm if behaviors improve is called this.
What is an analgesic trial?
The presence of loved ones or a calming setting can reduce pain perception, while isolation may worsen it.
What is environment and support people?
Social isolation or lack of family support can worsen pain through this assessment parameter.
What is sociologic impact?
Changes in sleep, work, or social habits due to pain fall under this assessment category.
What is effect on activities/lifestyle?
For nonverbal patients, this scale assesses facial expression, leg movement, and cry
What is the FLACC scale?