Table 4.

The focused emergency department assessment of pain can begin using a tool like OPQRST

OPQRST Tool	Detail
1. Onset	What were they doing when it started and how did it start
2. Provocation/palliation	What makes it better or worse
3. Quality	How would they describe (eg, cramping, stabbing, burning, electric shock, pressure)
4. Region/radiation	Where do they feel it and does it move elsewhere
5. Severity	On a scale of 1–10, or mild/moderate/severe
6. Time	When did the pain start and is it constant or intermittent. If the patient has chronic pain, it is also important to assess if their current pain is similar or different to their chronic pain and, if the latter then how it is different.

Data from [Friese G. How to use OPQRST as an effective patient assessment tool. EMS1 Online. 2020. Available at: https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/education/articles/how-to-use-opqrst-as-an-effective-patient-assessment-tool-yd2KWgJIBdtd7D5T/. Accessed Jan 2023.]