Question
What is the best way to assess pain in children?
Answer
It depends upon their age and ability to communicate with you. If they are too young to communicate their feelings or are non-verbal, they can "rate" their pain by using a scale specifically made for children, such as the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (https://www.wongbakerfaces.org/), or other rating scales with pictures.
Their caregivers are another good source of information. They are most familiar with the child and the child's normal behavior patterns. They should be able to give you insight as to whether a behavior is typical or not.
We can also use our clinical judgement and observe any behavioral manifestations during treatment to determine whether they are uncomfortable.
A combination of all the above resources can be used to get a clinical picture of the child.
Editor’s note: This Ask the Expert was adapted from the article ‘Evaluation and Management of Pain’. The complete article can be accessed here.
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