Pediatric dermatology
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Pediatric dermatology · Mar 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyChildren's rating of itch: an experimental study.
Little is known about children's ability to assess itch. The present paper aimed to investigate the discriminative capacity of two itch rating scales in children. Sixty healthy children, 4 to 12 years of age, participated. ⋯ However, children 4 to 5 years of age rated the itch intensity (both scales) less well than those aged 6 to 12 years. The younger age group discriminated between saline and histamine, but not between the different histamine concentrations. In conclusion, children aged 6 to 12 years were able to discriminate between different itch stimulus strengths in a dose-dependent way with a 100-mm visual analog scale and a four-stepped verbal rating scale, indicating the validity of these scales for measurement of experimental itch in children 6 years or older.