A 3-year-old child is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of pneumonia.
The child is non-verbal and has difficulty breathing.
The nurse uses the FLACC Scale to assess the child's pain.
The child scores a 9/10 on the FLACC Scale.
Which of the following statements by the patient is appropriate?

Choice A rationale:

I will observe your facial expression.”..

This statement is not appropriate for assessing pain in a non-verbal child using the FLACC Scale because it does not address the five behavioral indicators the scale measures.

The FLACC Scale assesses facial expression, leg movement, activity level, cry, and consolability.

Choice B rationale:

I will watch how you move your legs.”..

This statement is also not appropriate for using the FLACC Scale as it only focuses on one of the five behavioral indicators.

While leg movement is assessed, it's crucial to evaluate all indicators for a comprehensive pain assessment.

Choice C rationale:

I will note your activity level.”..

This statement is partially correct, as the FLACC Scale does assess activity level.

However, it does not cover all the indicators, and it's essential to mention the other components for a complete assessment.

Choice D rationale:

I will listen to your cry and observe your consolability.”..

This statement is the most appropriate choice.

The FLACC Scale rates five behavioral indicators, and this statement acknowledges two of them: cry and consolability.

A comprehensive assessment should include all five indicators for an accurate pain evaluation in non-verbal children.

Choice A rationale:

The FLACC Scale (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability) is the most suitable pain assessment tool for infants who are unable to communicate verbally.

It takes into account facial expressions, leg movement, activity, cry, and consolability, which are important indicators of pain in non-verbal infants.

Choice B rationale:

The Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale is designed for children aged 3 years and older who can use facial expressions to indicate their pain level.

It is not the best choice for infants, as they may not yet have the ability to convey pain using these facial expressions effectively.

Choice C rationale:

The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) requires assigning a numerical value to pain, which is not appropriate for infants who cannot understand or use numbers for pain assessment.

Choice D rationale:

The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is also not suitable for infants as it requires marking pain on a line, which is beyond the capability of non-verbal infants.