A pilot study to assess the relationship between behavioral manifestations and self-report of pain in postanesthesia care unit patients.

The Chambers and Price Pain Rating Scale was adapted to measure the relationship between behavioral manifestations and self-report of pain in PACU patients. This article discusses the result of a pilot study of the adapted tool. The internal consistency of the tool using coefficient alpha was 0.92. Interrater reliability for each category of the scale, using Pearson's correlation, ranged from 0.71 to 1.0. Thirty subjects were observed by the investigators at two times. In the first observation, frowning or grimacing was the only behavior significantly related to self-reported pain. In the second observation, muscle tension and patient sounds were significantly related to self-report of pain. The results suggest a sequence of pain behaviors in patients recovering from anesthesia. Thus, careful attention to certain behaviors in the recovery period, with a broader focus of assessment in the recovery period, may be necessary for accurate pain assessment.