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By using the mnemonic “OPQRST-I” for the ACS chest pain patient, the EMT will be able to answer important questions directly related to patient care.
OPQRST-I
- Onset of symptoms
- Provokes (provocation): “Anything you do make this better or worse”
- Quality of the pain: Have the patient use their own words rather than asking “Do you have 9/10 substernal chest pain that radiates to your jaw and arm?”
- Radiating Pain: Does the pain move anywhere else?
- Severity: Usually rated on a 1 – 10 scale where 10 is the “worst” pain
- Time: It is important to note the last known well time and exact point of symptom onset as well as duration of pain.
- Interventions: Did any of the initial interventions performed aggravate or alleviate the pain?
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