This is a methodological study, the objective was to conduct the pre-test and validate the psychometric properties of the Pain Assessment Tool in Confused Elderly (IADIC) in the immediate postoperative period. The sample consisted of 104 patients aged 60 years and over in the immediate postoperative period, admitted to the recovery room after surgery in a general hospital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Data were collected from April to August 2012. Patients included in the study were diagnosed as confused after application of the Confusion Assessment Method-CAM and possessed age of 71.51 ± 8.81 years. In the pre-test did not require modifications of the instrument. Upon validation the psychometric properties and internal consistency showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.88 and reproducibility assessed by the intraclass coefficient was 0.838. Internal consistency and reproducibility gave IADIC the validity and reliability for use in Brazil.
Aged; Confusion; Pain; Postoperative care; Validation studies; Nursing
