This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related letters  • Related article  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Pain  • Surgery, Other  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Robert Kozol, MD, MSA; Anthony Voytovich, MD

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In reply

We were surprised to see that our article describing potential misinterpretation of subjective reporting of pain scores was seen as a blanket condemnation of "the fifth vital sign." The common goal is to move toward thoughtful assessment of suffering in our patients and to relieve pain while avoiding dangerous adverse effects of therapy. In the early days of anesthesia, had one pointed out that ether was toxic, explosive, and hard to control, it might similarly have been seen as "setting the field back 20 years." Indeed, in both cases, critical analysis of ongoing practice is an essential first step toward refining future efforts. Our aim was to review contemporary literature, both clinical and basic science, and to understand the bases for potential error in the application of pain scores. We recognize the role of pain scales in directing treatment and we . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

RELATED LETTERS

Pain Assessment Is Vital
Betty Ferrell
Arch Surg. 2008;143(1):98-99.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pain Assessment Is Vital—Reply
Edward H. Livingston
Arch Surg. 2008;143(1):99.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

RELATED ARTICLE

Misinterpretation of the Fifth Vital Sign
Robert A. Kozol and Anthony Voytovich
Arch Surg. 2007;142(5):417-419.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT