Harefuah
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The Israeli Ministry of Health requires that every patient have their pain routinely and systematically measured when there are treated in any of the country's medical institutions. Measurement guides treatment and enables follow-up of pain over time. Self-assessment of pain is the gold standard. Measurement is standardized by using scales representing intensity from "no pain" to "unbearable pain". Three-year-olds can assess their own pain, but younger children, or those who are non-verbal due to a medical procedure, cannot. Scales for this population rely on behavioral and physiological parameters, with assessment conducted by caretakers. Of the scales reviewed by the authors, the "FLACC" was chosen as appropriate for routine use due to its brevity and simplicity. ⋯ The Hebrew version of the FLACC was found reliable and valid for caretakers to use with children who cannot communicate verbally.