Journal of pediatric nursing
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Fifty-four thousand children die each year despite the advances in care for children with acute and chronic illnesses. Demands for improved palliative and end-of-life care for children exist. Good death is a concept frequently used in the adult hospice movement. However, how can the death of a child be good? Analysis of good death can assist pediatric nurses to understand the concept and provide a framework for nurses in the clinical and research arenas to work together to develop and provide evidence-based, developmentally appropriate care for dying children and their families.
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Comparative Study
Interpretation of the large red-and-white visual analog scale by children compared with adults.
The red-and-white visual analog scale (VAS) is a modification of the traditional VAS. The purpose of this study was to compare how children of various ages and adults rate their anticipatory pain intensity on the red-and-white VAS. ⋯ The medians and ranges describing mild, moderate, and severe pain, or pain intensity at which medicine would be requested, did not differ between preschool children, young schoolchildren, and adolescents or between children and adults. The median score of anticipated need for pain medication was 50% of the maximum for children.