Fast implementation of a visual analogue scale (VAS) in an Emergency Department

Methods A prospective interventional study over 12 weeks. Baseline audits were made weekly 3 times on 25 randomly chosen patient cases. The following interventions were introduced to the triage nurses. All acute patients should be asked about pain using VAS-scale, when arriving to the hospital and the value should be documented together with the vital signs. The nurses were educated in pain treatment and had access to a VAS lineal and a pocket card with treatment algorithm. After the intervention, audits were performed every week on 25 patients through the following 9 weeks. Data will be analyzed with SPC. Study population was all acutely ill patients older than 15 years, who arrived to the emergency department and had a Glasgow Coma Scale higher than 13.