Merkel SI, Voepel-Lewis T, Shayevitz JR, Malviya S, et al.
Pediatric nursing. Date of publication 1997 May 1;volume 23(3):293-7.
1. Pediatr Nurs. 1997 May-Jun;23(3):293-7.
The FLACC: a behavioral scale for scoring postoperative pain in young children.
Merkel SI(1), Voepel-Lewis T, Shayevitz JR, Malviya S.
Author information:
(1)Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School and
Health Systems, Ann Arbor, USA.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the FLACC Pain Assessment
Tool which incorporates five categories of pain behaviors: facial expression;
leg movement; activity; cry; and consolability.
METHOD: Eighty-nine children aged 2 months to 7 years, (3.0 +/- 2.0 yrs.) who
had undergone a variety of surgical procedures, were observed in the Post
Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). The study consisted of: 1) measuring interrater
reliability; 2) testing validity by measuring changes in FLACC scores in
response to administration of analgesics; and 3) comparing FLACC scores to other
pain ratings.
FINDINGS: The FLACC tool was found to have high interrater reliability.
Preliminary evidence of validity was provided by the significant decrease in
FLACC scores related to administration of analgesics. Validity was also
supported by the correlation with scores assigned by the Objective Pain Scale
(OPS) and nurses' global ratings of pain.
CONCLUSIONS: The FLACC provides a simple framework for quantifying pain
behaviors in children who may not be able to verbalize the presence or severity
of pain. Our preliminary data indicates the FLACC pain assessment tool is valid
and reliable.
PMID: 9220806 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
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