Validation of a six-graded faces scale for evaluation of postoperative pain in children

Summary Background: The faces pain scales are often used for self‐report assessment of paediatric pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of a six‐graded faces pain scale after surgery by comparing the level of agreement between the children's report of faces pain scores and ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatric anesthesia 2003-10, Vol.13 (8), p.708-713
Main Authors: Bosenberg, A., Thomas, J., Lopez, T., Kokinsky, E., Larsson, L.E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amides - therapeutic use
Anesthesia, Caudal - methods
Anesthetics, Local - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
Chi-Square Distribution
Child
Child, Preschool
Discriminant Analysis
faces scale
Female
Humans
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Male
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous. Technology
Observer Variation
paediatric pain
pain assessment
Pain Measurement - methods
Pain, Postoperative - diagnosis
Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques
postoperative pain
Reproducibility of Results
Self Disclosure
Severity of Illness Index
Statistics, Nonparametric
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Summary:Summary Background: The faces pain scales are often used for self‐report assessment of paediatric pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of a six‐graded faces pain scale after surgery by comparing the level of agreement between the children's report of faces pain scores and experienced nurses’ assessment of pain by observation of behaviour. The faces pain scores before, at and after administration of analgesics were analysed. The study was performed in two South African hospitals, one with a mainly rural population and the other with an urban population. Methods: A total of 110 children aged 4–12 years, scheduled for inguinal surgery in the two South African hospitals, were included in the study. The anaesthetic technique was standardized. All patients received a caudal block preoperatively. Postoperative pain assessments were made every hour for 8 h after the caudal block was performed. A designated nurse assessed pain by using a four‐graded descriptive scale (no, mild, moderate or severe pain) and thereafter the child reported pain by using the six‐graded faces pain scale. Results: A high correlation was found between the two methods of assessment (τ = 0.76, P 
ISSN:1155-5645
1460-9592
DOI:10.1046/j.1460-9592.2003.01142.x