Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
The use of pain scales in small animal veterinary practices in the USA.
- Journal:
- The Journal of small animal practice
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Costa, R S et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Specialty Medicine · United States
Plain-English summary
Assessing pain in pets can be tricky, and many veterinarians struggle to recognize when animals are in pain, which can lead to inadequate pain relief. A recent survey of veterinarians and veterinary technicians in the United States found that nearly half of the respondents use pain scales to evaluate pain in dogs and cats, while others either sometimes use them or do not use them at all. The main reasons for not using pain scales included a lack of training and being too busy with other cases. Some veterinarians also mentioned that they find pain scales unreliable or time-consuming. Overall, while many practices are starting to use these tools, there is still a significant need for better training and implementation of pain assessment methods in veterinary care.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Pain assessment in veterinary medicine is challenging. Uncertainty in the ability to recognise pain in animals contributes to suboptimal analgesia. Pain scales have been developed to aid in pain recognition. It is unknown if such scales are routinely utilised in veterinary practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey using RedCap software was emailed to veterinarians and veterinary technicians working in practices across the USA. This study aimed to investigate whether pain scoring was routinely performed and reasons to use or not use pain scales. One hundred and forty-four participants were required to estimate prevalence (95% confidence level, 5% precision) with hypothesised prevalence of approximately 10%. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-seven participants completed the survey. Seventy (47.6%) responded that pain scoring was performed in their practices, 24 (16.3%), reported "sometimes" and 53 (36.1%) reported pain scores were not performed. Reasons for not pain scoring included no training (51.9%) and busy caseload (48.1%). Disadvantages of pain scales were unreliability (16/82; 20%), duration required for completion (14/82; 17%) and vocalisation (14/82; 17%). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Almost 50% of the small animal practices surveyed reported the use of pain scales as part of their routine workflow. However, many practices still do not consistently utilise pain scales to assess pain in dogs and cats. Perceived unreliability and lack of compliance were reasons for this result. Improvement of training and proper pain scale introduction and implementation in small animal practices in the USA appears to be required.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36567384/