Validating the Derbyshire Children's Hospital Pain Tool: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pain Management
• Clinical Assessment Tools

Background:

• The Derbyshire Children's Hospital Paediatric Pain Chart (DPC) is utilized for pain assessment in pediatric patients.
• It is designed for children of all ages in postoperative settings, incorporating facial expression, body movement, and verbalization.
• An exploratory study was conducted to determine the reliability and validity of the DPC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Derbyshire Children's Hospital Paediatric Pain Chart (DPC).
• To assess the DPC's suitability as a pain assessment tool for young children undergoing surgery.

Main Methods:

• A research nurse assessed 40 children aged 1-5 years undergoing minor/intermediate surgery.
• Pain was assessed using both the Toddler Preschooler Postoperative Pain Scale and the DPC, preoperatively and for 4 hours postoperatively.
• Analgesia administered was recorded, and inter-rater reliability was assessed between the research nurse and nursing staff.

Main Results:

• The DPC demonstrated known groups validity, with all children scoring 0 preoperatively.
• Strong correlation (r=0.89) indicated convergent validity between the DPC and another pain scale.
• High inter-rater reliability (Spearman's rho=0.81) and Cronbach's alpha (0.83-0.98) supported the DPC's consistency.
• Construct validity was shown by a significant decrease in pain scores after analgesia administration.

Conclusions:

• The Derbyshire Children's Hospital Paediatric Pain Chart (DPC) is a reliable pain assessment tool.
• The DPC demonstrates construct, convergent, and known groups validity for children aged 1-5 years.
• The DPC is suitable for assessing pain in pediatric patients undergoing minor and intermediate surgery.