Children’s Self‐Report of Pain Intensity: What We Know, Where We Are Headed

Abstract

The present paper provides a short, practical introduction to children’s self-report measures of pain intensity, followed by an overview of principles and issues. Details on individual self-report scales were previously reported in a landmark systematic review in 2006 and will not be repeated here. Broader measurement issues discussed here include interpretation of pain scores over time, across individuals and in relation to contextual factors; special considerations affecting children younger than six years of age; social communicative functions of pain reports; cognitive developmental factors in understanding pain scales and their anchors; screening for the ability to use self-report scales and training for children who do not have this skill; level of measurement (interval versus ordinal); estimating clinically significant change for groups and individuals; and measurement of aspects of pain other than intensity. Also highlighted are areas in which there has been progress and a lack of progress since the last time this topic was featured at the International Forum on Pediatric Pain in 1996. The present article closes with an outline of key areas for further research on children’s self-report of pain and a brief summary of recommendations for clinicians.

Schoolbag carriage and schoolbag-related musculoskeletal discomfort among primary school children

“…For the before-and-after schoolbag carriage assessment where point prevalence of discomfort was being ascertained, the children were asked "Do you have any soreness or pain now?". It has been proposed that pain intensity scores are more useful for comparisons within the same person over time than for comparisons among individuals (von Baeyer, 2009). In the current study the intensity of discomfort within the same person over time was investigated and a minimum meaningful difference in VAS score of 1 cm on a 10 cm scale was used (Powell et al, 2001;von Baeyer, 2009).…”

Toward a functional near-infrared spectroscopy-based monitoring of pain assessment for nonverbal patients

“…However, when self-reports are unavailable or in doubt, observational measures can be used as a complement or substitute. 1 The absence of verbal (or writing) communication in some patients (also referred as nonverbal) is an obstacle to the evaluation of pain. Patients with impaired communication, unconscious patients, infants, the critically sick, persons suffering from advanced dementia, and patients with intellectual disabilities are examples of vulnerable individuals, who are unable to speak for themselves.…”

Efficacy of pain control with topical lidocaine–epinephrine–tetracaine during laceration repair with tissue adhesive in children: a randomized controlled trial

“…Pain was also rated by patients, parents or guar dians using the validated 10-point Faces Pain Scale -Revised, 15,17 a recommended adjunct to the colour Visual Analogue Scale for school-aged children. 18,19 Our secondary outcome measures at the time of wound closure included physician rating of difficulty of repair on a 100-mm visual analogue scale (0 = easiest repair; 100 = most difficult repair), physician rating of wound hemostasis achieved before repair (4-point Likert scale) and physician prediction of active drug or placebo application. No previously validated tools for these secondary measures exist, although the same scale for difficulty of repair has been used in a previous study of tissue adhesives.…”