Assessment of pain

Validated Methods for quantitative assessment of pain

Visual analogue scale: 100mm line
(Nelson, Cohen, Lander, et al, 2004)
Use a 100mm line as shown below.

Ask the patient to mark their level of pain on the 100mm line above.
(The left end of the 100mm line represents zero and indicates a level of no pain. The right end of the line represents 10 and indicates a level of severe pain.)

Application of a triage category

Descriptive terms to guide acuity for the ATS and validated methods for quantitative assessment of pain.

Descriptor	ATS category
Very severe	2
Moderately severe	3
Moderate	4
Minimal	5

Reference: Australian College of Emergency Medicine.