Socrates (pain assessment)

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SOCRATES is a mnemonic acronym used by emergency medical services or nurses to evaluate the pain that a patient is in.

[edit] Meaning of the acronym

The acronym is used to gain an incite into the patient's condition, and to allow the Health Care Provider to develop a plan for dealing with it.[1][2]

  • Site - Where is the pain?
  • Onset - When did the pain start, and was it sudden or gradual?
  • Character - What is the pain like? An ache? Stabbing?
  • Radiation - Does the pain radiate anywhere?
  • Associations - Any other signs or symptoms associated with the pain?
  • Time course - Does the pain follow any pattern?
  • Exacerbating/Relieving factors - Does anything change the pain?
  • Severity - How bad is the pain?

[edit] References

  1. ^ SOCRATES on Pain Assessment. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
  2. ^ SOCRATES Acronym. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.