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Preverbal, Early Verbal Pediatric Pain Scale (PEPPS): development and early psychometric testing
A A Schultz1, E Murphy, J Morton
1Maine Medical Center, Portland 04102, USA.
Insights
The Pre-Verbal, Early Verbal Pediatric Pain Scale (PEPPS) offers a new way to measure toddler pain. This scale shows reliability and early validity, addressing a gap in pediatric pain assessment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Pain Management
- Clinical Assessment Tools
Background:
- Toddlers lack validated pain assessment scales.
- Accurate pain measurement is crucial for effective pediatric care.
- Existing tools may not capture the nuances of pain in pre-verbal and early-verbal children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate the Pre-Verbal, Early Verbal Pediatric Pain Scale (PEPPS).
- To assess the usability, reliability, and initial validity of the PEPPS.
- To provide a much-needed tool for measuring pain in toddlers.
Main Methods:
- A blinded, cross-sectional study involving 40 children aged 12-24 months.
- Children were videotaped in the postanesthesia care unit.
- Experienced pediatric nurses rated pain using the PEPPS on randomly selected video vignettes.
Main Results:
- The PEPPS was found to be easy to use by clinicians.
- Acceptable inter-rater and intrarater reliability were demonstrated.
- Early construct validity was supported by significant differences in pain scores before and after medication.
Conclusions:
- The PEPPS is a promising new scale for assessing pediatric pain in toddlers.
- The scale exhibits good usability and reliability.
- Further research is warranted to fully establish its validity and utility in clinical settings.
Abstract:
The Pre-Verbal, Early Verbal Pediatric Pain Scale (PEPPS) is conceptualized to measure the established pain response in toddlers, a pediatric group void of pain assessment scales. It consists of seven categories, each with weighted indicators. Scores can range from 0 to 26. Using a blinded, cross-sectional design, 40 children, aged 12 to 24 months, were videotaped throughout their postoperative stay in the postanesthesia care unit. Vignettes were randomly selected and viewed by four experienced pediatric nurses. Results indicated that the PEPPS was easy to use and demonstrated acceptable inter-rater and intrarater reliability. Early evidence of construct validity was established by statistically significant differences in premedication and postmedication pain scores.