A person's self-report of pain should be respected.

• A. Self-report should be ignored
• B. Self-report should be respected
• C. Self-report is unreliable
• D. Self-report is only for humans

Answer: (B)

Pain is a subjective experience, and the person who feels it is the best source of information about its intensity and impact. Because pain cannot be measured directly by an external observer, the self-report should guide how you respond and manage it. Respecting that report is both ethically right and practically essential to prevent unnecessary suffering; it also helps tailor treatment to what the person needs, using validated scales and regular reassessment to adjust care as symptoms change. Observations and signs can support your judgment, but they don’t replace the person’s own description of their pain. Dismissing or doubting a self-report can lead to undertreatment and prolonged distress, and the idea that self-report is irrelevant or limited to humans isn’t accurate in this context.