• José Eduardo Martinez, Daphine Centola Grassi, and Laura Gasbarro Marques.
• Departamento de Medicina, PUC-SP. jemartinez@terra.com.br
• Rev Bras Reumatol. 2011 Jul 1; 51 (4): 299-303, 308.

ObjectiveTo assess the applicability of pain assessment instruments in three hospital settings.MethodologyThis study comprised 60 patients with musculoskeletal pain cared for at the Conjunto Hospitalar de Sorocaba: orthopedic ward, Rheumatology outpatient clinic, and orthopedic emergency unit.QuestionnairesBrief Pain Inventory (BPI); McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ); Visual Analogue Scale for pain (VAS).ResultsIn the emergency unit, the male sex predominated, the mean age being 35 years. In the outpatient clinic, 18 men (mean age, 42 years) and two women (mean age, 55 years) were interviewed. In the orthopedic ward, men predominated (mean age, 30.7 years). In the orthopedic emergency unit and ward, the duration of application was shorter for VAS and longer for MPQ. The VAS duration of application was the shortest and did not differ in the three settings. In the orthopedic ward and emergency unit, patients preferred the BPI, and, at the ward, the VAS was the second option. In the outpatient clinic, the patients preferred BPI (80%), followed by MPQ, while the interviewers were equally divided between those same questionnaires. In the orthopedic emergency unit, the interviewers preferred the BPI (40%), and the remaining interviewers were equally divided between the other two instruments. There was more agreement than disagreement between the preferences of patients and interviewers.ConclusionThe multidimensional instruments for pain assessment have limitations regarding their applicability in daily health care activities.

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