Evaluation of Pain in the Pediatric Patient Admitted to Sub-Intensive Care: What Is the Evidence? A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric critical care medicine
• Pain management research

Background:

• Inadequate pain management in children can lead to lasting physical and psychological problems.
• Accurate pain assessment is critical in Neonatal and Pediatric Sub-Intensive Care Units.
• Uncertainty exists regarding optimal pain assessment tools for these specific patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of available pain assessment tools for non-sedated, non-intubated pediatric patients in sub-intensive care settings.
• To identify and synthesize existing literature on pain assessment methods in this vulnerable group.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review methodology was employed.
• Extensive literature searches were performed across major scientific databases and clinical trial registries.
• The review focused on identifying tools for pain assessment in pediatric sub-intensive care.

Main Results:

• Twenty-seven studies were included in the review.
• A variety of pain assessment tools were identified for pediatric sub-intensive care settings.
• Multidimensional scales, integrating physiological and behavioral indicators, were consistently favored across studies.

Conclusions:

• The review provides a broad overview of pain assessment tools for pediatric sub-intensive care.
• No single "best" tool was definitively identified.
• Further research is recommended on the practical implementation and user perceptions of these pain assessment tools.