The influence of the type of face mask used by healthcare providers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the report of pain: a cross-sectional study in a pediatric emergency department.

Background: During 4 months of the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, nurses in a pediatric emergency department (ED) used surgical and clear face masks in triage. This study aimed to find out if the type of face mask influenced children's reports of pain.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the pain scores of all patients aged 3-15 years who visited the ED during the 4-month period was performed.