Children's Ratings of Postoperative Pain Compared to Ratings by Nurses and Physicians

Abstract

Children's ratings of their postoperative pain were compared to nurses' and physicians' ratings of the children's postoperative pain. Children and adolescents were able to rate their pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Although there were differences between groups on their mean pain ratings, the ratings of the nurses and physicians correlated significantly with the children's pain ratings. Also, the correlation between nurses and physicians was highly significant, indicating that the use of a VAS may help nurses and physicians explore the cues used to estimate children's pain. This dialogue may enhance communication and collaboration between professionals about pain management strategies specific to each child's pain experience.

Fast-track concepts in routine pediatric surgery: a prospective study in 436 infants and children

“…Pain measurements took place at 8.00, 12.00, and 18.00 h. Pain assessment was performed by the attending nurse using the Children's and Infant's Postoperative Pain Scale (CHIPPS) [14] in children younger than 4 years and the Smiley scale and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) [15,16] in older children. The CHIPPS scale includes the assessment of pain during motion of the patient.…”

Fast-track surgery in infants and children

“…Personal data, medical history, and the intra-and postoperative course were documented. Pain was assessed by the attending nurse using the Children's and Infant's Postoperative Pain Scale (CHIPPS) [19] in children younger than 4 years and with the Smiley and visual analogue scale (VAS) [20,21] in older children. Pain assessment was performed without movement the evening after the operation and the morning of the first and second postoperative days.…”

Healthcare providers’ accuracy in assessing patients’ pain: A systematic review

“…Of the 10 studies that documented or compared pain assessments made by both physicians and nurses of the same patients [26,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47], only one study reported a significant difference in pain assessment accuracy by provider type [46]. Sjöström et al [46] found that of the nurses and physicians that were less experienced (< 4 years of clinical experience), physicians showed good pain assessment accuracy while nurses showed only moderate pain assessment accuracy.…”