ASSESSMENT - PAIN EKG - R
Red Flags
Red flags represent alarm symptoms or signs that war­rant prompt, specific diagnostic testing, urgent treatment, or referral to a specialist.

GENERAL RED FLAGS

• Fever
  
• High pain after injury
  
• Recumbent pain
  
• Cancer
  

BACK

BACK PAIN RED FLAGS

• Weight loss, prior history of cancer, nocturnal or rest pain, age older than 50 years, recent trauma, fever and chills, history of injection drug use, chronic corticosteroid therapy, difficulty urinating, bowel or bladder incontinence, and neurologic deficits such as saddle anesthesia, perianal or peri­neal sensory loss, or motor weakness in the extremi­ties. 
• There is a common association between spontaneous vertebral fracture and any combination of age older than 70 years, female gender, recent trauma, and prolonged cor­ticosteroid use. 
• There is a moderate to highly significant predictive value for age older than 50 years, history of prior cancer, unexplained weight loss, and failure of conservative therapy in identify­ing spinal malignancy.