The Measurement of Pain in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: From Policy to Practice

Abstract

Although the capacity to perceive and respond to pain contributes to health by alerting people to injury and illness, unrelieved and persistent pain is known to impair health, limit functional capabilities, and compromise quality of life.1 Research and critical review of knowledge generated over the past 3 decades have dramatically increased understanding of pain mechanisms,2–4 consequences,5–7 and management8–10; however, the transfer of this knowledge into clinical practice has been slow and sporadic.1 This slow transfer has precipitated national and international efforts to develop and implement clinical practice guidelines to improve pain identification and management.11