Visual-analogue scale

At baseline, quantify the patient s pain using a visual analogue scale, assess range of motion of affected joints, and identify activities of daily living that are impaired. 

In Section 8.3.1 we introduced the idea of a simple ordinal rating scale such as the 4-point scale for a migraine headache absent, mild, moderate, severe. Another simple approach to measurement is the so-called visual analogue scale (VAS). The VAS is simply a line - normally 100 mm long - the ends of which are associated with descriptions of opposite extremes of the disease. 

Rheumatoid arthritis Tender, swollen joints, visual analogue scale for pain acute phase reactants (ESR, C-reactive protein), duration of early morning stiffness, preservation of function... 

Maxwell, C. Sensitivity and accuracy of the visual analogue scale a psycho-physical classroom experiment. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 6, 15-24, 1978. 

Monk TH. A visual analogue scale technique to measure global vigor and affect. Psychiatry Res 1989 27 89-99. 

Neither 10 mg nor 30 mg of oxazepam affected the reaction time tasks in the patients, whereas the controls had dose-related impairment. The memory impairing effects did not differ significantly. In contrast to the controls, the patients could not discriminate between a 10 mg and a 30 mg dose, as assessed by visual analogue scales and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Version 1, which might indicate a placebo effect of 10 mg in patients. The authors concluded that additional doses of oxazepam during long-term treatment have pronounced effects, even after daily use for more than 10 years. 

All clinical pain studies are using a visual-analogue scale. We are so incredibly bad at treating pain. The terribly sad situation with pain is illustrated by the following. To enroll in a study for a new pain drug, a patient has to have pain graded by himself or herself at level 4 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10, where zero is no pain and 10 is unbearable pain. 

Therapeutic trials in acute pain are often conducted on patients who have undergone abdominal surgery or third molar tooth extraction, and in chronic pain on chronic rheumatic conditions. Only the patients can say what they feel and pain is best measured by a questionnaire or by a visual analogue scale this is a line, 10 cm long, one end of which represents pain as bad as it could possibly be (which patients identify as agorrising ) and the other end no pain patients mark the line at the point they feel represents their pain between these two extremes. Such techniques are highly reproducible. 

In a double-blind, placebo-controUed study in 24 elderly patients scheduled for elective total hip replacement who were randomized to either intrathecal morphine 160 pg or nalbuphine 400 pg postoperatively, when the pain score was greater than 3 cm on a visual analogue scale, nalbuphine produced significantly faster onset and shorter duration of analgesia (5). Both opioids produced adequate maximal pain rehef in aU patients. The adverse effects profile was umemarkable in both groups. 

In 3402 patients with hypertension taking trandolapril, cough, assessed by visual analogue scale, was less common in smokers than in non-smokers (2). 

Because of its advantage in terms of study size over qualitative data, and usually over ordinal data, it is often attempted to obtain outcome measures in clinical studies on a quantitative scale. Two approaches used in an attempt to achieve this aim are the visual analogue scale (VAS) and summated ratings. ... 

Aitken RGB. Measurement of feelings using visual analogue scales. Proc Roy Soc Med 1969 62 989-93. 

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