The Clinical journal of pain
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Study of coping with phantom pain in nonclinical war veteran amputees. ⋯ Coping with phantom pain in war veteran amputees is predominantly silent acceptance of the pain, with little use of social support however available, and rare recourse to medical help, based on past unhelpful experience. Pain and mood appeared to be unrelated to specific war cues, but higher pain scores were reported by those with unhappier war memories.
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Parents are often the primary source of information regarding their children's pain in both research and clinical practice. However, parent-child agreement on pain ratings has not been well established. The objective of the present study was to examine agreement between child- and parent-rated pain following minor surgery. ⋯ Correlations between parent and child pain reports do not accurately represent the relationship between these ratings and in fact overestimate the strength of the relationship. Parents' underestimation of their child's pain may contribute to inadequate pain control.
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To relate clinical features to autonomic laboratory indices used in the diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type I (CRPS I) (reflex sympathetic dystrophy) to generate improved diagnostic criteria. ⋯ Clinical and autonomic laboratory probability scores correlate in an internally consistent manner. Both CRPS-Sx and CRPS-LAB are sensitive and reliable tools to formulate a correct diagnosis of CRPS I and can be combined to provide an improved set of diagnostic criteria for CRPS I.
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Pain assessment is crucial to pain research. Knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of pain measures is important to the continued advancement of our understanding of pain. The purpose of the present study was to compare the validity and utility of three measures of pain intensity during a medical procedure known to produce pain: an abortion. ⋯ The results supported the validity of each of the three measures used, although some superiority for the BS-21 over the Verbal BS- 11 and VAS exists. Patients had some difficulty completing the paper-and-pencil VAS during the procedure. In addition and consistent with previous research, some patients treated the Verbal BS-11 as a 21-point scale by responding with numbers between two whole numbers on the 0-10 measure. Overall, practical issues led us to conclude that the BS-21 is an excellent choice for assessing real-time abortion pain.
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The only way some patients with intractable angina pectoris can endure the daily pain is by using opiates. Epidural morphine or spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for out-patients is a possibility for this patient group. The aim of this study was to determine whether patients previously treated with epidural injections had more frequent electrode migration, higher stimulation needs, and less effect of SCS treatment. ⋯ SCS in patients previously treated with epidural catheters has an effect equal to that in other patients.