Question

A 73-year-old patient admitted after a stroke has expressive aphasia. Which pain intensity scale(s) would be appropriate to use with this patient? Choose all that apply.

1) Visual analog

2) Numerical rating

3) Wong-Baker face rating

4) Simple descriptor

Answer 1

For a patient with stroke-induced expressive aphasia, pain scales such as the visual analog, Wong-Baker faces, or simple descriptor scales are suitable, as they do not rely on verbal expression.

Step-by-step explanation:

For a 73-year-old patient admitted after a stroke with expressive aphasia, pain intensity scales that do not rely on verbal expression would be most appropriate. The appropriate pain intensity scales are:

• Visual analog scale - This would allow the patient to indicate their pain level by pointing on a line where one end signifies no pain and the other end signifies the worst pain.
• Wong-Baker face rating scale - This scale uses facial expressions to represent different levels of pain, which the patient can choose from to indicate their pain level.
• Simple descriptor scale - This may include a list of adjectives representing various levels of pain from which the patient can select.

A numerical rating scale, which requires the patient to provide a number that represents their pain level, might not be suitable due to the expressive aphasia affecting their ability to communicate verbally or in writing.