[Validity and reliability study of sedation diagnosis method comfort scale].

Objectives: The aim of the present methodological descriptive study was to test the validity and reliability of the COMFORT scale.

Methods: The study was conducted at a pediatric critical care unit at a university hospital between February 2009 and June 2010. Study sample included 84 pediatric patients (n=37) receiving mechanical ventilation. Data were collected via child information form, COMFORT scale, and visual analog scale (VAS). Having been assured of the language and context validity of the scale, researchers conducted reliability tests (Cronbach's alpha coefficient, item analysis), inter- and intra-observer reliability tests, and correlation analyses based on the data obtained during their own observations.

Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.77. Results of the item analysis indicated that item-total correlations were satisfactorily high. Significance of inter-observer agreement was analyzed for each item, and it was found that weighted kappa values varied between 0.703 and 0.888. Convergent validity tests demonstrated a positive strong correlation between COMFORT scale scores of the primary researcher and the assistant researchers (r= 0.961, p<0.000), and between the scores of the COMFORT scale and the VAS (r= 0.775, p<0.000; r=0.786, p<0.000).

Conclusion: It was concluded that the COMFORT scale was a valid and reliable method of measuring sedation levels of children receiving mechanical ventilation and being sedated in a pediatric critical care unit.