A survey to assess the educational-level interference on self-evaluation of acute pain.

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate whether patient education level interferes in the percentage of pain relief or increase using visual analogue scale (VAS) and subjective pain perception. Ninety-five patients presenting acute shoulder pain due to enthesitis were evaluated. They were asked to quantify the pain using VAS before steroid articular infiltration. One week later, patients reevaluated the pain using VAS and orally stated the percentage of perceived pain increase or relief. The information gathered was then compared among three patient educational levels (elementary, high school, and university). Percentages of improvement stated orally and utilizing VAS presented no statistically significant differences among the three educational status levels (p = 0.804). Patient educational status caused no impact in the results of acute pain self-assessment with VAS and oral evaluation.