9990 · 3.3.2
Measuring pain flashcards
Revision flashcards for Cambridge 9990 Measuring pain (syllabus 3.3.2). Flip, recall, then mark a real past-paper question.
Card
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)?
100mm line from 'no pain' to 'worst pain imaginable' — patient marks position; scored 0–100mm. **Simple and sensitive** to change.
Card
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)?
0–10 verbal rating — "Rate your pain from 0 to 10." Easy to use clinically; **correlates highly** with VAS.
Card
Wong-Baker FACES scale?
Cartoon faces from smiling to crying — designed for **children** and patients with language barriers.
Card
McGill Pain Questionnaire?
Melzack's measure with **20 word categories** (sensory, affective, evaluative, miscellaneous) — captures pain **quality**, not just intensity.
Card
Behavioural pain indicators?
Observed **guarding**, grimacing, reduced mobility, vocalisation — useful when patient **cannot self-report** (infants, dementia).
Card
Why is pain measurement difficult?
Pain is **subjective and private** — no objective meter; influenced by culture, mood, and **expectancy** (placebo/nocebo effects).
Card
What is the primary limitation of unidimensional pain scales like the VAS or NRS?
They only measure one aspect of pain – its intensity. They do not capture the qualitative nature of the pain, such as whether it is burning or throbbing (sensory) or how distressing it is (affective).
Card
Name the three main components of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ).
1. Word descriptors (grouped into sensory, affective, and evaluative categories). 2. A body map to indicate the location of the pain. 3. A Present Pain Intensity (PPI) scale.
Card
In what situations are behavioural pain indicators most useful?
When patients are unable to self-report their pain. This includes infants, young children, patients who are unconscious, sedated, or have severe cognitive impairments or communication difficulties.
Card
Define 'affective' in the context of pain measurement.
The 'affective' dimension refers to the emotional component of the pain experience. It includes feelings such as fear, anxiety, depression, and the overall unpleasantness or distress caused by the pain.
Card
What is the UAB Pain Behavior Scale?
It is a structured observational tool used to measure pain by recording the frequency of specific pain-related behaviours, such as guarding, bracing, rubbing, grimacing, and sighing, over a set observation period.