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Measurement tools for assessing nausea, vomiting, and retching in pediatric populations: A scoping review
Remziye Semerci Şahin1, Aycan Kucukkaya2, Gökçe Naz Çakır3
1Koç University, School of Nursing, Department of Pediatric Nursing, İstanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Assessing pediatric nausea and vomiting is challenging due to inconsistent tools. Standardized, age-appropriate measures are urgently needed for accurate symptom evaluation in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Clinical Assessment Tools
- Symptom Measurement
Background:
- Nausea, vomiting, and retching (NVR) are significant symptoms in children.
- Current assessment methods for pediatric NVR lack standardization and age-appropriateness.
- This inconsistency hinders accurate evaluation in clinical and research settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify, map, and evaluate measurement tools for NVR in pediatric populations.
- To assess the psychometric properties, applicability, and limitations of existing tools.
- To inform the development of better assessment strategies for pediatric NVR.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines.
- Comprehensive literature search across six major databases up to January 2025.
- Inclusion of studies reporting on tools for pediatric NVR assessment.
Main Results:
- 14 studies identified 14 distinct measurement tools for pediatric NVR.
- Most tools were self-report (n=14), with 10 also including proxy-report options.
- Tools varied in application (oncology, GI disorders, etc.) and assessed outcomes like intensity, frequency, pain, and emotional impact.
Conclusions:
- Existing pediatric NVR tools offer insights but exhibit significant variability in design and applicability.
- Concerns include limited sensitivity in younger children, proxy-report inconsistencies, and lack of cultural adaptation.
- There is an urgent need for standardized, age-appropriate, and culturally adaptable tools for accurate pediatric NVR assessment.
Background:
Nausea, vomiting, and retching are distressing symptoms in pediatric patients, yet their assessment remains inconsistent due to a lack of standardized, age-appropriate tools aligned with children's developmental needs.
Aim:
This scoping review aimed to identify, map, and evaluate the tools currently used to measure nausea, vomiting, and retching in pediatric populations, specifically focusing on their psychometric properties, applicability, and limitations in clinical and research settings.
Method:
The review followed the PRISMA-ScR and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus) up to January 2025.
Results:
A total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria, covering 14 measurement tools. Most tools (n = 14) were developed for self-report use, while 10 incorporated proxy-report methods. Tools varied in their focus, with several designed for oncology settings (e.g., BARF Scale, PeNAT, NVTS, SSPedi), while others addressed gastrointestinal disorders, chronic kidney disease, or brain tumors. Outcomes assessed included nausea intensity, vomiting, retching, pain, dietary intake, functional impairment, and emotional symptoms.
Practice Implications:
Existing tools provide useful insights into pediatric nausea and vomiting but differ widely in design and applicability. Standardized, age-appropriate, and culturally adaptable tools are urgently needed for accurate assessment in pediatric patients.
Conclusion:
Most tools demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity; limited sensitivity for younger children, proxy-report variability, and cultural adaptation were noted. Current tools offer valuable insights into pediatric nausea and vomiting but vary significantly in design, scope, and applicability.
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