Pediatric Pain Assessment by Drawn Faces Scales: A Review

Pediatric pain assessment is a significant issue yet the topic is understudied. Unique challenges, namely reporting biases, are present when assessing pain in children. The aim of this review of the literature is to increase awareness of biases when assessing pain in children, suggest changes in pra...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pain management nursing 2014-12, Vol.15 (4), p.909-918
Main Authors: Quinn, Brenna L., Sheldon, Lisa Kennedy, Cooley, Mary E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child
Crying
Emotions - physiology
Facial Expression
Humans
Nursing
Pain Measurement - methods
Pain, Postoperative - diagnosis
Pediatrics - methods
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Pediatric pain assessment is a significant issue yet the topic is understudied. Unique challenges, namely reporting biases, are present when assessing pain in children. The aim of this review of the literature is to increase awareness of biases when assessing pain in children, suggest changes in practice, and state priorities for future research. Five computerized databases were searched to identify original research pertaining to the use of drawn faces scales for pediatric pain assessment. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines provided a framework for this review. Relevant articles were identified and data were extracted from the studies. Content analyses were then used to synthesize the findings. The age of a child being assessed contributed to biases in pain assessment. Drawn faces scales may provide inaccurate pain assessment results if a child has difficulty separating the feelings of pain and mood. Smiling faces on pain assessment scales may lead to overestimation of pain intensity. Nurses should consider biases when selecting and implementing a drawn faces pain assessment tool and when planning pain management interventions. An increase in the use of technology in pediatric pain assessment practices may provide opportunities to implement individualized pain assessment in practice. Further research is needed to determine the most reliable methods for pediatric pain assessment including the use of technology. Evidence would assist nurses in determining the best tool to assess each child based on cognitive abilities and developmental level.
ISSN:1524-9042
1532-8635
DOI:10.1016/j.pmn.2014.03.004