Editor’s Capsule Summary
What is already known on this topic
The Verbal Numerical Rating Scale, commonly used to assess pain intensity, is validated for children 8 years and older, but its utility in younger children is unknown.
What question this study addressed
The authors examined validity and reliability of the Verbal Numeric Rating Scale in pediatric emergency department patients aged 4 to 17 years.
What this study adds to our knowledge
In this study of 733 children, convergent validity compared with the validated Faces Pain Scale–Revised, known-groups validity, responsivity, and reliability were strong in all ages, except that convergent validity was not strong for children aged 4 and 5 years.
How this is relevant to clinical practice
The Verbal Numerical Rating Scale may be used to assess pain in most children 6 years and older, but not in those aged 4 and 5 years.