Measurement and Assessment of Pain in Pediatric Patients

Acute and chronic pain are common experiences in children and youth. A thorough assessment is fundamental to understand this experience and to assess and monitor treatment responses. This chapter outlines dimensions of the pain experience to assess in acute and chronic pain in children. Information about commonly used pain tools is provided and the factors that need to be considered when choosing a pain assessment tool are outlined. Given that no individual tool can be broadly recommended for pain assessment in all children and across all contexts, organizations are encouraged to develop guidelines for the assessment of pain in children using developmentally appropriate pain tools. Finally, the need for clear documentation about pain assessment and how regularly pain assessment should be undertaken are discussed.