Assessment of the reliability and validity of the Comfort Scale for adult intensive care patients

ObjectiveThis study sought to evaluate the use of the Comfort Scale (CS), originally developed for children, in sedated adults at intensive care units.MethodsComfort and sedation were assessed in a convenience sample of 88 adult intensive-care patients receiving mechanical ventilation, using 5 instruments (the Ramsay Scale, Sedation Agitation Scale, Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale, Glasgow Coma Scale, and CS).ResultsReliability (internal consistency according to Cronbach's α, .60 to .66; inter-rater reliability, r = .81; test-retest, r = .21 to .31) and validity (criterion validity with other scales, κ = .49 to .74, for construct validity and sensitivity) were determined. The range of children's comfort (i.e., 17 to 26) was different from that in adults (i.e., 16 to 20).ConclusionsResults partially support the use of the CS among adults in intensive care units, with some minor adjustments.