Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) — free guideline decision tool
Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT), a behavioral pain scale for patients unable to self-report.
Open guideline tool →Guideline-based
Implements the decision logic from published clinical guidelines.
Runs in your browser
No installation. Enter the patient's values and get a guideline recommendation instantly.
Data stays local
Nothing is uploaded. Results are for licensed clinicians only.
Common questions
What does Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) do?
Use to assess pain in nonverbal/sedated/ventilated ICU patients by scoring four behavioral domains.
How is the result calculated?
Four domains (facial expression, body movements, muscle tension, and ventilator compliance or vocalization) each scored 0–2; total 0–8; a score > 2 suggests significant pain warranting analgesia.
Is this a substitute for clinical judgement?
No. All results are decision-support only, for licensed clinicians. They must be individualized to the whole patient and the latest guideline version.
Run Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) now
Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT), a behavioral pain scale for patients unable to self-report.
Open guideline tool →For licensed clinicians. Not a substitute for clinical judgement.