Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2018
Abstract
Objective:
The goal of this study was to examine pain responses in pediatric patients with cancer.
Method:
Children (ages 6 to 18) undergoing treatment for cancer (N=68) completed the cold pressor task.
Results:
Average pain tolerance was 118.22 seconds (SD=101.18) and 40% of the children kept their hand in the water the entire 4-minute ceiling. On a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale, children reported a pain severity of 5.07 (SD=3.47) at their first report of pain, a pain severity of 5.94 (SD=3.54) at their maximum report of pain, and a pain severity of 5.33 (SD=3.72) at the time they reached pain tolerance. Children receiving chemotherapy agents (N=56) with possible neuropathic effects exhibited higher pain tolerance compared with children not receiving such treatments (N=10), β=0.84, SE=0.38, Wald χ21=4.88, P=0.027, hazard ratio=2.33, 95% confidence interval (1.10-4.92).
Conclusions:
This study provides data on experimental pain responses in a sample of children undergoing cancer treatment and suggests that pain experience may be moderated by cancer treatment type.
Recommended Citation
Jenkins, B. N., Roemer, R. J., Martinez, A., Torres, T. K., & Fortier, M. A. (2018). Cold pressor pain response in children with cancer. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, 40(5), 368-373 https://doi.org/10.1097/MPH.0000000000001219
Copyright
Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
Comments
This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, volume 40, issue 5, in 2018 following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at https://doi.org/10.1097/MPH.0000000000001219.