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We are going to be asking about your pain frequently.
• You may have pain with medical or surgical procedures.
• Pain is SUBJECTIVE and INDIVIDUAL
• The pain Is YOUR pain – not the doctor’s or nurse’s
• YOU are the judge
• If you do not receive enough medication and you are in pain, you cannot cooperate with your recovery.
• Your goal is to find a balance… If you receive too much medication or sedation you cannot cooperate with your recovery. Report all chest or possible heart pain to your health care provider or family immediately.
We would like you to use the Pain Scale Shown below:
0-1: NO PAIN to “just barely noticeable. It may not be possible to get down to this level. If you do, GREAT.
2-3: Pain is present, but you may have to stop and think about it to really tell it is there and not gone. You feel fairly comfortable…let’s keep it there!
4-5: You now notice your pain perhaps at rest or during activity. It may interfere with your activities. The level at which it is a good idea to start to do something toward relief is 3-4.
6-7: Your pain is distracting you, and you may be able to focus on something else rather than the pain for only a short periods of time. You may be gritting your teeth or holding your breath to carry out activities.
8-9: Your pain may be severe enough that it makes you stop in the middle of an activity, or not be able to complete it at all. It is difficult to think of anything else but your pain. You may be uncomfortable during rest or quiet times.
10: Your pain is now the worst you can imagine, though it is not necessary for you to be “crying” at this level
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