title: Classification of chronic pain associated with spinal cord injuries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine interrater reliability of a classification system for chronic pain in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to determine the frequency and characteristics of various pain types as categorized by this system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Independent categorization (based on questionnaires; for 15 persons, questionnaires plus personal interviews) by 2 investigators.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 163 individuals aged >or=18 years with SCI and pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pain categories, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, and Chronic Pain Grade questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 41 (25%) questionnaires categorized independently by 2 investigators, strength of agreement in categorizing 68 pain problems was substantial (kappa=.68). For 15 persons whose pain was categorized in person by 2 investigators, strength of agreement was also substantial (kappa=.66). Among 163 survey respondents with pain, the most common worst pain was SCI pain (31.9%). Mean characteristic pain intensity +/- standard deviation for worst pain, regardless of type, was 61.02+/-18.5 on a scale from 0 to 100. On average, for worst pain, respondents reported moderate pain-related disability (43.70+/-29.4; scale range, 0-100). Although certain pain descriptors were more often associated with a specific type of pain, none was pathognomonic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Substantial interrater reliability was achieved in determining pain categories by use of responses to a questionnaire with a classification system based on presumed pathology. Adding interviews with patients increased our ability to classify pain but did not improve overall interrater reliability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. dianamac@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Diana D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Cardenas
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Warms
authors.forename: Helen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000145:classification*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires