Pain in trauma assessment should be measured using which of the following?

• A. Numeric pain scale
• B. Visual analog scale
• C. Wong-Baker FACES scale
• D. Any appropriate pain scale based on patient factors

Answer: (D)

Pain assessment in trauma should be tailored to the individual patient, using the instrument that best fits their abilities and situation. In the fast-paced trauma setting you want an accurate read from self-report whenever possible, but not every patient can provide that. For a cooperative adult who can report pain, a numeric rating scale (0–10) or a visual analog scale is appropriate and reliable. For children or patients with language or developmental limitations, tools like the Wong-Baker FACES scale are commonly used because they align with how they express discomfort. When a patient is nonverbal, intubated, or cognitively impaired, observational scales such as FLACC provide meaningful cues about pain. The key concept is to choose the pain scale based on patient factors rather than insisting on one universal tool, and to reassess frequently after analgesia.