Clinical validation of the nursing diagnosis labor pain.

OBJECTIVE The study intends to identify the presence of clinical indicators of pain during labor and to correlate the verbal reference of pain intensity with uterine contractions as a proposal to validate the clinical nursing diagnosis Labor Pain. METHOD Observational study of the 22 clinical indicators that represented the defining characteristics for the diagnosis. RESULTS There were 55 participants in labor (18 in the initial active stage, 6 in the final active stage and 31 in both stages), over 18 years old, in their first pregnancy, with effective contractions and cervical dilation of 4 cm or more. Among the 22 defining characteristics tested, 6 were present in most participants during the two stages: verbal or codified report, noted evidence of uterine contraction, altered muscle tension, noted evidence of pain, expressive behavior and facial expression of pain. There were differences between the stages in relation to perspiration, facial expression of pain, protective gestures, anodyne position, distractive behavior, self-focus and perineum pressure feeling. CONCLUSIONS A positive linear correlation was noted between pain intensity scores and the extent of intra-uterine pressure in the initial stage. Labor pain was proven to be compatible with a nursing diagnosis.