2.4 Assessment of New Pain
Pain assessment is an ongoing process requiring constant attention to new pain
(see Figure 3). Changes in pain patterns or the development of new pain should
not be attributed to preexisting causes but should instead.trigger diagnostic
evaluation. New pain may signal treatable problems such as infection or
fracture. A change in pain often signals advancing disease, and because pain
management relies on the treatment of the underlying disease, establishing a
medical diagnosis with the criteria discussed earlier is critical. A 1992
report showed that a comprehensive pain assessment revealed new causes of pain
in 64 percent of 270 oncology patients with new pain complaints; most of the
new diagnoses were necrologic (Gonzales, Payne, Foley, et al., 1992). Thus, the
need to reassess persistent pain to identify new causes cannot be
overemphasized.
Initial Pain Assessment
Initial Pain Assessment.
Assessment of Common Cancer Pain Syndromes
Bone Metastases
Common Cancer Pain Syndromes due to Peripheral Nerve Injury
Mucositis
Methods for Assessing Pain
Patients with Psychiatric Problems Associated with Cancer Pain
Index