Neonatal Pain, Agitation and Sedation Scale (N-PASS)

The N-PASS is a five-item behavioral and physiological assessment tool designed to measure pain, agitation, and sedation in neonates across the full spectrum from profound sedation to severe pain. Developed by Hummel et al. in 2008, it is validated for both ventilated and non-ventilated infants in NICU settings and provides a rapid bedside assessment combining facial expression, extremity tone, vital sign changes, state of consciousness, and cry characteristics.