Calculators · Paediatrics & Neonatology · Score
FLACC behavioural pain scale
Also called FLACC, Face Legs Activity Cry Consolability
Observational pain score (0–10) for children who cannot self-report — originally validated in post-operative children aged 2 months to 7 years.
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Formula and scoring
Face + Legs + Activity + Cry + Consolability, each 0–2. 0 relaxed; 1–3 mild discomfort; 4–6 moderate pain; 7–10 severe discomfort/pain.
Exam and ward pearls
- Use self-report scales (Wong–Baker FACES, numeric) once the child can reliably self-report; FLACC is for pre-verbal or non-verbal children.
When not to rely on it
- Distress from hunger, fear or separation can raise the score without pain.
- A revised FLACC (r-FLACC) with extra descriptors exists for children with cognitive impairment.
Source
- Merkel SI, Voepel-Lewis T, Shayevitz JR, Malviya S. The FLACC: a behavioral scale for scoring postoperative pain in young children. Pediatr Nurs. 1997;23(3):293-7. PMID 9220806
Formula and cut-offs checked against these sources on 8 Nov 2026. Educational tool for clinicians; it does not replace clinical judgement.