Measurement of acute pain after eye surgery in children

This study was performed to assess the degree of acute pain in children following eye surgery using a Face Pain Rating Scale (FPRS), with a validity and reliability test employing a Numeric/Word Graphic Rating Scale (NWGRS). The degree of pain was obtained at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 hours after surgery using the FPRS and NWGRS. The changes in pain intensities were analyzed using a RM-ANOVA, while the relationship between the FPRS and NWGRS was analyzed by a Pearson coefficient in SPSS/WIN. Two third of the children experienced pain equal to, or greater, than moderate to severe, and about one fifth of the subjects expressed the most severe pain at 2 hours after surgery. At 4 hours after surgery, 95.3% of the children still complained of pain, and 8 hours after surgery, 82.8% of the patients experienced 'a little bit' or 'a little more' pain or discomforts. At 1 day after surgery, only 34.4% of children were free of pain. A high correlation between the FPRS and NWGRS was identified over 5 time-points (.887 < r < .735). The gender, type of the surgery and past operation experience had no effects on the degree of pain. Our results suggest that FPRS is a reliable and valid measurement for acute pain assessment in Korean children following eye surgery, and warrants application in the integrated clinical protocol, including non-pharmacological and pharmacological management of acute pediatric pain reduction following surgery.