The visual analog scale and the 5-point vertebral rating scale, two tools used to assess the intensity of pain in patients with spinal conditions, are not interchangeable, which means physicians should not compare results from each scale, according to an article published in Spine.
Researchers studied 151 patients undergoing elective spine surgery who completed the 100-mm VAS and a discrete 5-category VRS and found that there were inconsistencies between the VAS and the VRS. The article recommends that physicians not compare the results obtained in each method because they gauge pain differently.
Read the study on VAS and VRS pain scales for spine surgery.
Read other coverage on spine surgery:
- South Carolina Spine Center Uses Advanced Integrated OR Technology
- Genetics May Be a Predictor of Spinal Surgery Outcomes
- Postoperative Administration of Antithrombotic Agent Could Decrease Blood Clot Risks in Spinal Surgery Patients
Researchers studied 151 patients undergoing elective spine surgery who completed the 100-mm VAS and a discrete 5-category VRS and found that there were inconsistencies between the VAS and the VRS. The article recommends that physicians not compare the results obtained in each method because they gauge pain differently.
Read the study on VAS and VRS pain scales for spine surgery.
Read other coverage on spine surgery:
- South Carolina Spine Center Uses Advanced Integrated OR Technology
- Genetics May Be a Predictor of Spinal Surgery Outcomes
- Postoperative Administration of Antithrombotic Agent Could Decrease Blood Clot Risks in Spinal Surgery Patients