RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Pain in cognitively impaired, non-communicating children
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 460
OP 462
DO 10.1136/adc.85.6.460
VO 85
IS 6
A1 P Stallard
A1 L Williams
A1 S Lenton
A1 R Velleman
YR 2001
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/85/6/460.abstract
AB AIM To detail the everyday occurrence of pain in non-communicating children with cognitive impairment.METHODS Thirty four parents of cognitively impaired verbally non-communicating children completed pain diaries over a two week period. Each day, for five defined periods, parents rated whether their child had been in pain, and if so, its severity and duration.RESULTS Twenty five (73.5%) children experienced pain on at least one day, with moderate or severe levels of pain being experienced by 23 (67.6%). Four children (11.7%) experienced moderate or severe pain lasting longer than 30 minutes on five or more days. No child was receiving active pain management.CONCLUSIONS Everyday pain in children with severe cognitive impairment is common, yet is rarely actively treated.