Final answer:
The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is a pain assessment tool used in healthcare to measure the intensity of pain. It consists of a horizontal line with anchor points representing extreme pain and no pain. The patient marks a point on the line to indicate their perceived level of pain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is a pain assessment tool used in healthcare to measure the intensity of pain experienced by a patient. It consists of a horizontal line, usually 100mm in length, with anchor points at each end representing extreme pain and no pain. The patient is asked to mark a point on the line that corresponds to their perceived level of pain.
For example, if a patient marks a point at 50mm, it indicates that they perceive their pain to be halfway between extreme pain and no pain.
The VAS allows for subjective measurement of pain and provides a numerical value that can be used for comparison and tracking of pain levels over time.