Based on available evidence , the NRS-11 , FPS-R , and CAS were strongly recommended for self-report of acute pain .
Only weak recommendations could be made for self-report measures for postoperative and chronic pain .
No measures were recommended for children younger than 6 years , identifying a need for further measurement refinement in this age range .
Abstract In 2006 , PAIN published a systematic review of the measurement properties of self-report pain intensity measures  in children and adolescents ( Stinson JN , Kavanagh T , Yamada J , Gill N , Stevens B. Systematic review of the psychometric properties , interpretability and feasibility of self-report pain intensity measures for use in clinical trials in children and adolescents .
Key developments in pediatric pain necessitate an up date of this work , most notably growing use of the 11-point numeric rating scale ( NRS-11 ) .
Our aim was to review the measurement properties of single-item self-report pain intensity measures in children 3 to 18 years old .
A secondary aim was to develop evidence -based recommendations for measurement of child and adolescent self-report of acute , postoperative , and chronic pain .
Validity of Simplified Versus Standard Self-Report Measures of Pain Intensity in Preschool-Aged Children Undergoing Venipuncture.
There are inadequate age-specific data to support the use of current self-report pain scales in 3- and 4-year-old children . Most preschool-aged children also lack the necessary cognitive development to use st and ard scales . We aim ed to evaluate the validity and feasibility of 2 novel simplified scales ( Simplified Faces Pain Scale , S-FPS ; Simplified Concrete Ordinal Scale , S-COS ) for preschool-aged children . These simplified scales used a 2-step self-report method : children were first asked whether they have pain ( yes/no ) ; only if yes , then pain intensity was self-reported using a 3-point scale with visual aids signifying mild/moderate/severe . We recruited 180 3- to 6-year-old children undergoing routine blood collection . Each child was r and omly assigned 2 of 3 scales-S-FPS , S-COS , Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R)-to self-report pain before venipuncture , immediately after , and 5 minutes later , using both scales at each time-point . Pain was also assessed using observation ( Face Legs Activity Cry Consolability ) at each time point . The ability to discriminate pain from no pain was improved with S-FPS and S-COS , compared with the FPS-R , among 4-year-olds , but not 3-year-olds . Correlation with Face Legs Activity Cry Consolability was moderate to strong and cooperation rates were similar for all self-report scales . The simplified scales can improve and simplify pain assessment for 4-year-olds . Quantitative pain rating remains challenging for 3-year-olds . PERSPECTIVE This study evaluated 2 novel simplified pain assessment tools for preschool-aged children undergoing blood sampling . These scales demonstrated good validity and feasibility compared with the FPS-R , suggesting these simplified pain scales may have a role in clinical practice for children as young as 4 years
Based on available evidence , the NRS-11 , FPS-R , and CAS were strongly recommended for self-report of acute pain .
Only weak recommendations could be made for self-report measures for postoperative and chronic pain .
No measures were recommended for children younger than 6 years , identifying a need for further measurement refinement in this age range .
Abstract In 2006 , PAIN published a systematic review of the measurement properties of self-report pain intensity measures  in children and adolescents ( Stinson JN , Kavanagh T , Yamada J , Gill N , Stevens B. Systematic review of the psychometric properties , interpretability and feasibility of self-report pain intensity measures for use in clinical trials in children and adolescents .
Key developments in pediatric pain necessitate an up date of this work , most notably growing use of the 11-point numeric rating scale ( NRS-11 ) .
Our aim was to review the measurement properties of single-item self-report pain intensity measures in children 3 to 18 years old .
A secondary aim was to develop evidence -based recommendations for measurement of child and adolescent self-report of acute , postoperative , and chronic pain .