A 45-year-old patient has breast cancer that has spread to the liver and spine. The patient has been taking oxycodone (OxyContin) and amitriptyline (Elavil) for pain control at home but now has constant severe pain and is hospitalized for pain control and development of a pain-management program. When doing the initial assessment, which question will be most appropriate to ask first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Because pain is a multidimensional experience, asking a question that addresses the patient's experience with the pain is likely to elicit more information than the more specific information asked in the other three responses. All of these questions are appropriate, but the response beginning "How would you describe your pain?" is the best first question.

A 45-Year-Old Patient Has Breast Cancer That Has Spread to the Liver