Pain As The 5th Vital Sign

(Original title: "La douleur comme 5^e signe vital".)

By Dr. François Desroches, Chief of Medicine
and Maryse L. Savoie, Specialized Nurse Clinician

December 2001

Studies show that only 40% of the pain experienced by hospitalized patients is adequately relieved, whereas advancements in science can now provide a 90 to 95% relief rate. Since 1999, a multidisciplinary team from Ste. Anne's Hospital has been steering an initiative on pain management. This initiative is divided into two components: the implementation of the Concept of pain as the 5th vital sign and the creation and implementation of tools for evaluating pain in patients.

The Concept of pain as the 5th vital sign is a mechanism used to screen chronic pain that is not alleviated, thereby making the pain "visible". At Ste. Anne's Hospital, the Concept of pain as the 5th vital sign has been integrated into the clinical practices of the several professionals. Pain is routinely assessed on a scale of 0 to 10. The implementation of the Concept of pain as the 5th vital sign, along with the creation and implementation of tools for evaluating pain were carried out in four phases: awareness, design, implementation and evaluation.

We should mention that Ste. Anne's Hospital is a member of an international association known as Ensemble contre la douleur ("Together Against Pain"), founded in 1997, in Geneva. It is the only long-term care facility in Canada to have taken part in the association's campaign entitled Vers un milieu de vie sans douleur.