What pain assessment tool is used in ostomy care?

• A. PQRST Assessment
• B. Visual Analog Scale
• C. Numeric Rating Scale
• D. Wong-Baker

Answer: (A)

In ostomy care, a thorough pain picture isn’t just about how much pain there is; it’s about understanding its pattern and origin to guide treatment. The PQRST approach does this by guiding you to ask about Provocation or palliation (what makes the pain worse or helps it), Quality (how the pain feels—sharp, burning, throbbing), Region or Radiation (where it hurts and whether it spreads), Severity (how intense it is), and Timing (when it started, how long it lasts, and whether it’s constant or intermittent). This level of detail helps distinguish stomal problems—like appliance-pressure on sensitive skin, skin irritation, or early infection—from other sources of pain, so you can tailor care accordingly. While other tools like the Visual Analog Scale, Numeric Rating Scale, or Wong-Baker measure how much pain a patient reports, they don’t provide the descriptive cues about triggers, nature, and location that the PQRST method yields. That broader, more actionable information makes PQRST the most useful pain assessment in ostomy care.