Postoperative Pain Assessment in Pediatric Patients

Pain is multidimensional by its character. Therefore it has to be assessed properly, especially in pediatric patients who often lack the ability to express pain accurately. This literature review explores different tools and methods for assessing pain in pediatrics. The findings reveal that no single pain assessment method or tool should be used alone; rather, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach in pain assessment is emphasized. The results also evince the fact that parents may have a negative influence on the pain assessment of their children due to their poor knowledge and misconceptions. Lastly, this book emphasizes that the knowledge deficits and unprofessional attitudes toward a child’s pain should be confronted among nurses. In short, the results and findings give a comprehensive view of postoperative pain assessment, and can be used as a guide for evaluating and managing postoperative pain more efficiently among children.