title: Validation of sedation scores in mechanically ventilated children admitted to a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sedation scores are important tools for use in pediatric intensive care units. The Comfort-Behavior scale is a valid method for the assessment of children although it is considered an extensive scale. The motor activity assessment scale is validated for an adult population. We considered it simpler then the one above and suitable for application in children. None of these scores had been translated into Portuguese. Our objective was to apply both scales in Portuguese to a pediatric population under mechanical ventilation. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the sedation level of children on mechanical ventilation in tertiary pediatric intensive care units and to compare the Comfort- Behavior and motor activity assessment scales in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  After translating the scales into Portuguese, both were simultaneously applied to 26 patients by 2 pediatricians. Each scale was applied 116 times in total.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.90 (0.85 - 0.93 CI 95%) for the Comfort-Behavior and 0.94 (0.92 - 0.96 CI 95%) for the motor activity assessment scale. When applying the Comfort-Behavior scale, the Crombach's alpha was 0.81 for observer A and 0.92 for observer B. The Spearman coefficient was 0.86 for observer A and 0.91 for observer B. These patients were found to be deeply sedated, showing low values in both scales.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The scales were successfully translated into Portuguese and both were adequate to assess pain and sedation in the pediatric population under mechanical ventilation. Sedation level was high in this sample of applications.
authors.affiliation: Terapia Intensiva Pediátrica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Carolina Friedrich
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Amoretti
authors.affiliation: Terapia Intensiva Pediátrica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Gleiber Oliveira
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Antonacci
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Eliana de Andrade
authors.initials: Ede A
authors.lastname: Trotta