Is there scope for an observational pain scoring tool in paramedic practice?
Harvey, Christopher
Harvey, Christopher
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Abstract
Abstract published with permission.
In the pre-hospital environment, attending an older person can pose many challenges,
including a lack of a detailed history, polypharmacy and co-morbidities, as well as
a lack of out-of-hours support to name but a few. These challenges are enhanced
further when the patient is cognitively impaired by syndromes such as dementia.
There appears to be very little research available into how the pain of older
people with dementia is assessed and managed by paramedics.
This article highlights a literature review that was carried out to explore the
evidence base and possible implementation of the Abbey Pain Scale, with the
view of conducting a study in the near future. Particular focus is made on the
education and training required to implement the tool, other environments
where it has been adopted, as well as benefits and limitations.