The FLACC pain scale is used for infants and children who are unable to validate the presence/severity of their pain.

The FLACC pain scale is used for infants and children who are unable to validate the presence/severity of their pain.

• A. FACES pain scale
• B. FLACC pain scale
• C. PAINAD pain assessment in advanced dementia
• D. Numerical rating scale

Answer: (B)

Assessing pain in infants and nonverbal children relies on observing behavior rather than asking the child to report pain. The FLACC scale captures this by evaluating five observable domains—Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability—each scored 0, 1, or 2, giving a total of 0–10. This observational approach makes it the best choice for patients who cannot validate the presence or severity of pain, because the score reflects what the child’s body and demeanor show rather than what they say. In contrast, the FACES scale depends on the child’s ability to communicate and point to a face, PAINAD is intended for adults with advanced dementia, and the Numerical Rating Scale requires the patient to provide a numeric self-report. Thus the FLACC scale is specifically designed for nonverbal pediatric patients.

Assessing pain in infants and nonverbal children relies on observing behavior rather than asking the child to report pain. The FLACC scale captures this by evaluating five observable domains—Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability—each scored 0, 1, or 2, giving a total of 0–10. This observational approach makes it the best choice for patients who cannot validate the presence or severity of pain, because the score reflects what the child’s body and demeanor show rather than what they say. In contrast, the FACES scale depends on the child’s ability to communicate and point to a face, PAINAD is intended for adults with advanced dementia, and the Numerical Rating Scale requires the patient to provide a numeric self-report. Thus the FLACC scale is specifically designed for nonverbal pediatric patients.