Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory: its application to children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy.
OBJECTIVE
A standardized method of measurement of self-care ability in children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) has not been universally adopted. A study was conducted to determine if the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) was able to discriminate between the self-care ability of children with OBPP and their peers and distinguish between those with differing severities of OBPP.


METHODS
The PEDI self-care domain results for 45 children with OBPP (30 without hand impairment, 15 with hand impairment) were reviewed retrospectively.


RESULTS
The group performance of children without hand impairment was within 1 SD above the mean. The group performance of children with hand impairment was more than 2 SDs below the mean. The difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study children without hand impairment did not have a self-care activity limitation as measured by the PEDI. A deficit in self-care ability was found in those with hand impairment. The PEDI was able to differentiate between the performances of reported self-care activities of children with differing severities of OBPP; however, it was unable to discriminate between those without hand impairment and their peers.


METHODS
Diagnostic, Level II.
Department of Rehabilitation Services, Division of Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. emily.ho@sickkids.ca
Emily S
ES
Ho
Christine G
CG
Curtis
Howard M
HM
Clarke
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries*; D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010246:Paralysis, Obstetric / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012648:Self Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index