Introduction to pain assessment

Given the significant impact pain can have on a child and research indicating pain can delay wound healing in burns [1]; it is extremely important to be able to accurately assess and record pain in order to target intervention and optimise treatment outcomes.

A pain assessment allows you to:

• Accurately assess and document pain
• Measure pain severity that is comparable over time
• Understand the impact of pain (acute and ongoing) on the child’s ability to engage in occupational role of “patient”
• Understand pain behaviours and the impact of these on occupational performance across self-regulation, sleep, play/leisure and productivity domains
• Target intervention appropriately
• Monitor pain over time and evaluate effectiveness of interventions