Flacc Pain Scale
FLACC is an acronym that stands for face, legs, activity, crying and consolability. Usually performed by a medical practitioner such as a doctor or nurse, it is a rate scale used to observe pain. Originally designed for children between the ages of 2 and 7, it has since been adopted and adapted by some practitioners in adult settings to be used for people unable to communicate their pain. The Flacc pain scale makes available a pain assessment scale between 0 and 10.
In order to use the FLACC scale the practitioner has to observe a child for one to five minutes. The pain assessment score on the flacc pain scale is achieved by reviewing the types of behaviour in each of the FLACC categories and choosing the number that closely matches the behaviour observed. The numbers that are ultimately obtained for each of the categories are added together to get the total flacc pain scale assessment score, which will be between 0 and 10.
Practitioners may observe the child's behavioural practises during routine care. It may also be compulsory to touch and change the position of the child to establish whether pain is present with movement and to better measure tension and stiffness in the body. Even though it is difficult to obtain flacc pain scale scores when a child is asleep and therefore stationery, the facial expressions of sleeping child in severe pain may register tension, and, more often than not, the child often wakes up at the slightest touch.
It should be noted that some disparities have been reported between pain ratings based on observed behaviours and those based on self-report. That said, behavioural cues remain the main indicators of pain in children who are unable to use a self-report pain scale like the flacc pain scale. The difficulties inherent in using observation to assess pain is that there may be a difference between what practitioners and parents expect to find and what they actually do observe. In orderd to be able to make a precise assessment of pain, based on observed behaviours, it's very important to consider the child's circumstance and surroundings at the time of the assessment. For example crying and body movement may be in response to hunger and anxiety and are not automatic indicators of pain.
FLACC is an acronym that stands for face, legs, activity, crying and consolability. Usually performed by a medical practitioner such as a doctor or nurse, it is a rate scale used to observe pain. Originally designed for children between the ages of 2 and 7, it has since been adopted and adapted by some practitioners in adult settings to be used for people unable to communicate their pain. The Flacc pain scale makes available a pain assessment scale between 0 and 10.
In order to use the FLACC scale the practitioner has to observe a child for one to five minutes. The pain assessment score on the flacc pain scale is achieved by reviewing the types of behaviour in each of the FLACC categories and choosing the number that closely matches the behaviour observed. The numbers that are ultimately obtained for each of the categories are added together to get the total flacc pain scale assessment score, which will be between 0 and 10.
Practitioners may observe the child's behavioural practises during routine care. It may also be compulsory to touch and change the position of the child to establish whether pain is present with movement and to better measure tension and stiffness in the body. Even though it is difficult to obtain flacc pain scale scores when a child is asleep and therefore stationery, the facial expressions of sleeping child in severe pain may register tension, and, more often than not, the child often wakes up at the slightest touch.
It should be noted that some disparities have been reported between pain ratings based on observed behaviours and those based on self-report. That said, behavioural cues remain the main indicators of pain in children who are unable to use a self-report pain scale like the flacc pain scale. The difficulties inherent in using observation to assess pain is that there may be a difference between what practitioners and parents expect to find and what they actually do observe. In orderd to be able to make a precise assessment of pain, based on observed behaviours, it's very important to consider the child's circumstance and surroundings at the time of the assessment. For example crying and body movement may be in response to hunger and anxiety and are not automatic indicators of pain.
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