- What causes pain?
- What makes it better?
- Worse?
Q = Quality
- What does it feel like?
- Is it sharp?
- Dull?
- Stabbing?
- Burning?
- Crushing? ( Try to let patient describe the pain, sometimes they say what they think you would like to hear. )
R = Radiates
- Where does the pain radiate?
- Is it in one place?
- Does it go anywhere else?
- Did it start elsewhere and now localised to one spot?
S = Severity
- How severe is the pain on a scale of 1 - 10?
( This is a difficult one as the rating will differ from patient to patient. )
T = Time
- Time pain started?
- How long did it last?
Other questions to ask and look for....
- Any medication or allergies?
- Does it hurt on deep inspiration?
- Activity @ onset?
- Any history of pain?
- Is it the same?
- Different?
- Any family history of heart disease lung problems, stroke or hypertension?
- Check LOC.
- Pupils?
- JVD?
- Midline trachea?
- Any recent trauma?
Reference: Budassi-Sheehy, Emergency Nursing, Principles and Practice 3rd Ed., 1992
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