[Clinical characteristics of children with chronic pain in a pediatric pain unit: oncologic pain versus non-oncologic pain].
BACKGROUND
Despite undoubted scientific advances in the field of chronic pain in children, there is no evidence of clinical application of this knowledge.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the experience of a pediatric pain unit (PPU) specifically dedicated to the treatment of chronic pain in children.


METHODS
We performed an analytic, observational, retrospective, cohort study of the clinical features of the first 42 patients treated for chronic pain in the PPU during a two-year period. The patients were assigned to two groups: an oncologic group and a non-oncologic group. ANOVA was used to analyze quantitative variables and the Chi-square test was used to analyze qualitative variables.


RESULTS
No significant differences were found between the two groups in the demographic variables studied (age and sex). Concerning the type of treatment used, no significant differences were found in effectiveness or compliance. However, treatment duration was significantly longer in the non-oncologic group than in the oncologic group (74.2 days vs 37.5 days, p(0.008). The duration of non-oncologic chronic pain before attending the PPU (mean: 557 days) influenced the effectiveness (r 5 0.781; p 5 0.0001) and duration of treatment (r 5 0.61; p 5 0.0051). However, the duration of previous chronic oncologic pain was significantly shorter (mean: 34 days) and showed no influence on treatment effectiveness or duration.


CONCLUSIONS
The pediatric population presents chronic pain syndromes that can be appropriately treated in a PPU with conventional, easy to manage analgesics. We recommend the establishment of pediatric pain units similar to those for adults, using a multidisciplinary approach to mitigate children's suffering.
Millán-Millán
M J
MJ
Servicios de Anestesiología Pediátrica. Hospital Universitario La Paz. Madrid. España.
Reinoso-Barbero
F
F
Díaz-Miguel
M P
MP
García-Consuegra
J
J
Pascual-Pascual
S I
SI
Olsen-González
B
B
Carceller-Benito
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies