The analysis comparing the use of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for measuring pain in post-cesarean section (C-section) patients under spinal anesthesia

mhd noer ibrahim (department anesthesiology and intensive therapy, medical faculty university of north sumatera,)
Tasrif Hamdi (Study Program Of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy,Faculty of Medicine,Universitas Sumatera Utara, Adam Malik General Hospital)
dadik wahyu wijaya (Study Program Of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy,Faculty of Medicine,Universitas Sumatera Utara, Adam Malik General Hospital)

Jurnal Anestesiologi Indonesia
Publication In-Press

ABSTRACKPostoperative pain following Caesarean Section (CS) is a significant clinical issue that requires effective assessment and management to accelerate healing and improve patient comfort. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) in measuring pain intensity in patients after CS with spinal anesthesia. A quantitative research approach was applied, involving a sample of 90 patients from several hospitals in Medan, including Prof. Dr. Chairuddin P. Lubis Hospital, Dr. Pirngadi Regional General Hospital, and Haji Medan General Hospital. Data were collected through interviews and pain measurements using both instruments.The results showed that most respondents experienced moderate pain according to VAS (75%) and NRS (77%). Seventy-nine percent of respondents perceived VAS as a more effective method for pain assessment compared to 21% for NRS. Statistical analysis indicated no significant difference between pain measurements using VAS and NRS (p = 0.832). This study confirms that both tools can be used to measure pain intensity after CS, but VAS tends to be preferred by patients due to its more concrete visual representation of pain