[Diagnosis and assessment of pain].

Good management of pain depends on accurate assessment. We describe some approaches to the measurement of pain or suffering, including visual analogue scale, the MacGill Pain Questionnaire and behavioral observation scale. Patient's self-reporting provides the most valid information, because pain is a personal and subjective. Behavioral approaches to pain measurement, such as behavioral observation scale are useful for pain assessment for infants, children without language skills. Intravenous barbiturate, phentolamine(alpha-adrenergic antagonist), lidocaine(Na channel blocker), morphine(opioid), or ketamine(NMDA antagonist) may contribute to pain assessment as diagnostic tools for the investigation of the etiology of pain, especially neuropathic pain.