The present study was conducted to evaluate the use of computer-aided facial expression analysis to assess postoperative pain in children. The study population consisted of patients in the age group of 7-18 years who underwent surgery at Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine Health Application and Research Hospital Pediatric Surgery Clinic between November 2019 and June 2021. The sample of the study consisted of total 83 children who agreed to participate in the study and who met the sample selection criteria. Data were collected by the researcher using the Wong Baker Faces (WBS) pain rating scale and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Data were collected from the child, mother, nurse, and one external observer. Facial action units associated with pain were used for machine estimation. OpenFace was used to analyze the child's facial action units and Python was used for machine learning algorithms. Intraclass correlation coefficient, Kappa coefficient, and linear regression analysis were used for statistical analysis of the data. The pain score predicted by the machine and the pain score assessments of the child, mother, nurse, and observer were compared.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
83
The facial expressions associated with pain were analyzed by the researchers in the OpenFace program. The patient's pain scores were estimated in the Python program by combining the numerical outputs of facial expression analyses with machine learning algorithms.
Bursa Uludağ University
Bursa, Turkey (Türkiye)
the first observation on pain assessment of children by human
WBS scales were used for pain assessment of children, mothers, nurses, and observers.
Time frame: after surgery in the first 12 hours
the first observation on pain assessment of children by human
VAS scales were used for pain assessment of children, mothers, nurses, and observers.
Time frame: after surgery in the first 12 hours
the second observation on pain assessment of children by human
VAS scales were used for pain assessment of children, mothers, nurses, and observers.
Time frame: after surgery 24.-36. range hours
the second observation on pain assessment of children by human
WBS scales were used for pain assessment of children, mothers, nurses, and observers.
Time frame: after surgery 24.-36. range hours
child's facial expressions
Facial action units associated with pain were used from the camera recordings of the child's facial expressions.
Time frame: up to the first 36 hours.
pain assessment of children by machine
machine-estimated pain severity score from facial expression analysis.
Time frame: up to the first 36 hours.
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