Prospective diary study of nonpainful and painful phantom sensations in a preselected sample of child and adolescent amputees reporting phantom limbs.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively study factors associated with the occurrence of phantom sensations and pains in a pre-selected sample of child and adolescent amputees reporting phantom limbs.


METHODS
Prospective diary study over 1 month.


METHODS
Fourteen child and adolescent amputees from 10-18 years of age who were missing a limb due to trauma (n = 12) or congenital limb deficiency (n = 2), and who had previously reported having phantom sensations and pain.


METHODS
Diary used to assess the occurrence of non-painful and painful phantom sensations. Items included age, sex, location and cause of amputation, past experience with stump pain and pre-amputation pain, and intensity, quality, duration, and triggers of the sensations and pains.


RESULTS
Thirteen amputees reported having 104 incidents of non-painful phantom sensations with an average intensity of 4.17 (SD = 2.14) on a 0-10 rating scale. Fifty-three incidents of phantom pain with an average intensity of 6.43 (SD = 1.76) were recorded by 8 amputees. Both amputees with a congenital limb deficiency reported phantom phenomena. Girls reported more psychosocial triggers than did boys whereas boys were more likely than girls to report that they could not identify a trigger (P = 0.0001). Boys also reported a higher proportion of physical triggers than psychosocial triggers while there were no differences for girls (P = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Child and adolescent amputees experience phantom sensations and pains on a regular basis over a 1-month period. Differences in triggers of phantom phenomena between boys and girls may be due to differences in activities, awareness, attribution, and willingness to report psychosocial triggers.
Wilkins
Krista L
KL
Department of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. umwilk04@cc.umanitoba.ca
McGrath
Patrick J
PJ
Finley
G Allen
GA
Katz
Joel
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000674:Amputees / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017880:Limb Deformities, Congenital / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010591:Phantom Limb / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics