2500 D1 Opqrstu Tool PDF

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Summary

pain assessment including onset symptoms, refered pain, timing, if anything makes it worse or better....

Description

OPQRSTU: A Clinical Assessment Tool

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Health Assessment Questions Onset: (also see “Timing” below) ‘Onset’ is a natural first question to ask When did this first occur? Was this sudden, gradual or an ongoing problem? Has it happened before? Precipitation or Palliation: Do believe something precipitated the event or ‘brought this on’? Describe. Is there anything that makes is better or helps it to ‘go away’? (palliation) Examples: rest, an activity, cold, heat, medications, eating, stress, etc. Quality: Describe the problem or symptom in detail e.g. Describe the pain. Can you describe it to me? Examples: dull, sharp, crushing, burning, constant, throbbing, etc. Region or Radiation: (also consider Referred for pain) Does this occur in a specific location on the body and does it radiate out to other areas? Examples: Pain in the shoulder radiation to the jaw. Did this begin in one area then start to occur in another area Example: Numbness in L arm, then 10 minutes later numbness began in the L leg. Severity: This can be a single estimate of severity or a comparison (did it get worse or better?). If “0” is not pain and “10” is the worst pain you can imagine… When you walk up a flight of stairs does your breathing feel like you have been walking for a while or like you have been running? Time or Timing: (history of event) (expansion of ‘Onset’) Is there a pattern you have noticed? Pattern of onset/resolution or a pattern of change? Examples: Does it always start at the same point in an activity? Does it always go away with 2 minutes of rest? How long has this been going on? (duration) Understanding: What do you think causes this? This is the patient’s understanding of the event – not necessarily accurate but can be helpful in diagnosis. Patient’s usually know their symptoms quite well and notice small differences/changes. Example: Does this feel like your arthritic pain or do you think it is something else? Is this headache different from your usual migraine?

CS/W19/Developed from Jarvis, 2014...