Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
09:00

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram

Published on: July 7, 2023

4.5K

Using Pictures to Assess Pain Location in Children

Phyllis J Mesko, Aris Beoglos Eliades

    Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing : Official Journal of the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses
    |May 23, 2018
    PubMed

    Insights

    Pediatric patients effectively used the Pain Area Locator (PAL) tool to identify postoperative pain. The PAL tool revealed pain locations missed by nurses in 83% of assessments.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric Nursing
    • Pain Management
    • Patient Communication Tools

    Background:

    • Accurate pain assessment in pediatric postoperative patients is crucial for effective management.
    • Traditional methods may not always capture the precise location of pain in children.
    • The Pain Area Locator (PAL) tool offers a visual aid for pain identification.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the utility of the Pain Area Locator (PAL) tool for identifying pain location in postoperative pediatric patients.
    • To compare pain location assessments between nurses and the PAL tool.
    • To assess discrepancies in pain site identification.

    Main Methods:

    • A descriptive, quantitative, comparative study design was employed.
    • A convenience sample of 41 pediatric postoperative patients undergoing same-day surgery was recruited.
    • Children used the PAL tool, pointing to identified pain locations on visual aids.

    Main Results:

    • All 41 pediatric patients successfully utilized the PAL tool.
    • The PAL tool identified a pain location in 83% of assessments where nurses had documented no pain.
    • Significant discrepancies were observed between nurse assessments and patient-identified pain locations.

    Conclusions:

    • Children can effectively use the PAL tool to communicate their postoperative pain location.
    • The PAL tool enhances the accuracy of pain assessment in pediatric patients.
    • Findings support the integration of the PAL tool into routine postoperative care for children.
    Abstract

    Keywords:
    pain locationpediatricpicture communication aidspostanesthesia care unitresearch

    More Related Videos

    Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)09:05

    Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

    Published on: June 12, 2017

    30.9K
    Author Spotlight: Validation of SICOLE-R for Assessing Cognitive and Reading Skills in Spanish-Speaking Children and Its Role in Personalized Education09:00

    Author Spotlight: Validation of SICOLE-R for Assessing Cognitive and Reading Skills in Spanish-Speaking Children and Its Role in Personalized Education

    Published on: August 16, 2024

    1.2K

    Related Concept Videos

    Pain01:20

    Pain

    Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
    1.4K
    Location and Orientation of the Heart01:13

    Location and Orientation of the Heart

    The human heart, despite its modest size and weight, is an organ of remarkable strength and endurance. Roughly the size of a fist, the heart weighs between 250 and 350 grams and is nestled within the mediastinum, the medial cavity of the thorax. It extends obliquely for about 12 to 14 cm, resting on the superior surface of the diaphragm. The heart is positioned anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum, with two-thirds of its mass lying to the left of the midsternal line.
    10.7K
    Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

    Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

    The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
    Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
    1.0K
    Selected Data About Geographic Locations01:25

    Selected Data About Geographic Locations

    Geographic Information Systems (GIS) rely on two core types of data: spatial data and attribute data.Spatial DataSpatial data defines the physical location of features within a coordinate system, typically expressed in terms of latitude and longitude. It provides precise positioning for elements like roads, rivers, or buildings.Attribute DataAttribute data complements spatial data by adding descriptive information about these features. For example, a road's spatial data includes its start and...
    278
    Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

    Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

    The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...
    11.9K
    Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

    Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

    Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
    324