Assessment of pain in preschoolers (aged 3-7): A scoping review of existing instruments

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the available scientific knowledge on the assessment of pain in preschool children (aged 3–7). The information obtained will provide a basis for further research. Methods: The data were collected with the help of keywords by PCC and using Boolean operators that were searched for in scientific electronics databases. The data were collected using keywords that were selected based on a research question and targeted at a specific population, concept and context. Four scientific databases were included: PubMed, ProQuest, OVID, EBSCOhost. Results: A total of 243 articles were identified, plus another 10 records were identified from the reference list of retrieved articles. After analysis, 51 articles were subjected to a critical analysis and 14 studies were selected for final use for the scoping review. Conclusions: A literature review confirmed that the topic of pain assessment in childhood is becoming increasingly important. All the presented pain assessment tools assess pain in different ways, but always with the same goal: to properly assess a child’s pain and then treat it as best as possible. Particularly with young children, it is advisable to include more methods of pain assessment and to assess more aspects of pain to provide them with the right treatment.