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 .
Using a worst pain intensity measure in children and adolescents
AIMS To explore inconsistencies and the reliability in worst pain intensity ratings in children . BACKGROUND Asking for worst pain always requires a retrospective evaluation which is controversially discussed . DESIGN Retrospective analysis of registry data and a prospect i ve study . METHODS Retrospective study : 5970 patients [ age : 10·2(4·0 ) years , female : 41 % data collection : 2008 - 2015 ] ; Prospect i ve study : 240 patients [ age : 14·7(1·9 ) years , female : 43 % , data collection 2013 - 2014 ] were included . In both studies , the number of implausible pain intensity ratings was calculated ( both studies : worst pain lower than movement pain or pain at rest , prospect i ve study : number of patients reporting lower pain intensity ratings in worst pain items for the same time period in a second assessment ) . Test-retest reliability was calculated for the prospect i ve study . Changes in worst pain ratings were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed ranks test . RESULTS Test-retest reliability ranged from ρ = 0·77 - 0·90 . In the retrospective study , 8·9 % ( 95%CI : 8·2 - 9·6 % ) of our patients reported higher movement and /or pain at rest compared with worst pain . In the prospect i ve study , 35·8 % ( 95%CI : 30·0 - 42·1 % ) reported higher activity pain ratings compared with worst pain ratings in at least one pain assessment ; 13·8 % of the pediatric patients  reported lower pain intensity ratings in worst pain items in a second assessment compared with the first assessment . CONCLUSION Nine to 36 % of our patients showed inconsistent worst pain ratings . To overcome this problem , more specific pain intensity items , more than one item or a better instruction for pediatric patients could be used
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 .