Aportaciones de la evaluaciÓn de síntomas mediante escalas analÓgicas visuales en la relaciÓn enfermera-enfermo

Objectives: Symptom assessment is very important in Palliative Care because helps professionals in planing care and treatment. Symptom assessment by visual analogue scales (VAS) is much more than marking on a 100 mm line,is another way of relationship between nurses and cancer patients and their families. The aim of this study is to know if symptom assessment by VAS can help in detecting others patients' problems different from symptoms. Material and method: We conducted a prospective observational trial by a structured questionnaire filled by the nurses of the palliative support care team just after VAS symptom assessment. This survey was directed to patients who were hospitalized and patients of external consultation. Results: During June 2002 63 VAS symptom assessment were conducted from 44 patients. Fifty per cent of the patients were mail. Mean age was 69 (43-85). Thirty-for per cent of the evaluations were from first contact to Palliative Care. Forty per cent took place as in-patients. The most important areas of stress expressed by the patients during the VAS assessment were: 65% anxiety, 69.6% depression, 34.8% fear, 84% factors that grow worse pain. Seventy-three per cent of the patients' families expressed their own preoccupations during the VAS symptom assessment. The main duration of the symptom assessment was 2.51 minutes (0.25-8). The main number of symptoms evaluated were 6.5 (1-12). Conclusions: 1. Symptom assessment by VAS is another way of relationship between professional and patients/families. 2. The VAS can help in detecting areas of stress that need to be treated. 3. It is very important the role of infirmary in the sistematic assessment of symptoms.