Refinement and partial validation of the UNESP-Botucatu multidimensional composite pain scale for assessing postoperative pain in horses

• DOI: 10.1186/s12917-015-0395-8
• Publication Date: 2015-04-02T14:23:35Z
• Authors: Marilda Onghero T...; Stelio Pacca Lour...; Flavia Augusta de...; Guilherme Schiess...; Juliana de Moura ...; Jose Carlos Pantoja; Juliana Tabarelli...; Emma Love; Polly Taylor; Kate White; Joanna C Murrell
• Keywords: Pain scale; Pain Assessment

Quantification of pain plays a vital role in the diagnosis and management animals. In order to refine validate an acute scale for horses prospective, randomized, blinded study was conducted. Twenty-four client owned adult were recruited allocated one four following groups: anaesthesia only (GA); pre-emptive analgesia (GAA,); anaesthesia, castration postoperative (GC); or analgesia, (GCA). One investigator, unaware treatment group, assessed all at time-points before after intervention completed scale. Videos also obtained these evaluated by further evaluators who The data used investigate relevance, specificity, criterion validity inter- intra-observer reliability each item on scale, evaluate construct responsiveness Construct demonstrated observed differences scores between groups, hours anaesthetic recovery administration systemic GC group. Inter- items satisfactory. Subsequently refined, based results specificity total correlation. Scale refinement exclusion that did not meet predefined requirements generated selection relevant behaviours horses. After validation reliability, may be under clinical experimental conditions.