Pain Assessment Tools

Objective pain assessment is essential to appropriate management of pain. For some patients, only physiologic and physical exam assessments are possible (pre-verbal, neurologically or developmentally compromised). However, for patients who are able to understand and communicate abut their pain even in basic ways, a pain assessment tool should be selected that is appropriate to the patients age and cognitive ability. Most frequently used pain assessment tools are shown below.

Numeric Scale for Pain Intensity (0-10)

For adults who are cognitively and developmentally appropriate. The care provider is to explain to the patient that the "0" represents "NO PAIN" and "10" represents the "WORST" pain.

Wong-Baker Faces Scale (0-10)

For children over the age of three, for adults who are cognitively or developmentally delayed, and for the use with geriatric patients who are unable to use the numeric scale. The care provider is to explain to the patient that the "0" represents "NO PAIN" and "10" represents the "WORST" pain.

FLACC scale (0-10)

For children less than three years, except for infants in the NICU or newborn nursery.

Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS)

Scale (0-7) for premature infants and neonates



Pain Treatment Guidelines

Every patient who has or is anticipated to have at least a moderate level of pain defined as follows:

                                                      Numeric Scale                 Pain >  4/10

                                                      Wong-Baker Scale          Pain >  4/10    

                                                      FLACC Scale                 Pain >  4/10    

                                                      NIPS Scale                     Pain >  3/10