Physical examination, emphasizing the necrologic examination. Appropriate diagnostic workup to determine the cause of the pain . Health professionals should ask about pain, and the patient's self-report should be the primary source of assessment. A sk about pain regularly. A ssess pain systematically.
B elieve the patient and family in their reports of pain and what relieves it.
C hoose pain control options appropriate for the patient, family, and setting. D eliver interventions in a timely, logical, and coordinated fashion. In the initial assessment, document the onset and temporal pattern of the pain. Determine whether the pain radiates or spreads to other parts of the body. For example, patients who describe back pain that radiates like a tight band around their chest and worsens with coughing or defecation should be evaluated for potential spinal cord compression, a complication of vertebral body metastasis.