title: Adolescent pediatric pain tool for multidimensional measurement of pain in children and adolescents.
abstract: Very few multidimensional tools are available for measurement of pain in children and adolescents. We critically reviewed the scientific literature to examine the psychometrics and utility of the Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool (APPT), a multidimensional self-report tool that evaluates the intensity, location, and quality (including affective, evaluative, sensory, and temporal) dimensions of pain. The APPT is available in English and Spanish for children and adolescents, and was modeled after the McGill Pain Questionnaire in adults. We found good evidence for construct validity, reliability, and sensitivity of the APPT for the measurement of pediatric pain. The APPT was used to measure pain in children with different conditions, such as cancer, sickle cell disease, orthopedic, traumatic injuries, and allergy testing. Although the APPT was designed to assess the multiple dimensions of pain, the majority of the reports included results only for the intensity ratings. Unlike the numerical and pediatric faces rating scales, which are widely used in clinical practice and research, the APPT is not limited to the single dimension of pain intensity. It measures multiple dimensions, and may be able to discriminate between nociceptive and neuropathic pain. The APPT is one of a few multidimensional pain measures that can help to advance the science of pediatric pain and its management. When the APPT is used in practice or research, the multiple dimensions of pain may be characterized and compared in different painful conditions. It may guide the use of multimodal interventions in children and adolescents with a variety of pain conditions.
authors.affiliation: University of California Los Angeles School of Nursing, Los Angeles, California. Electronic address: ejacob@sonnet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Eufemia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplantation, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: A Kyle
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco, Berkeley, California.
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Savedra
authors.affiliation: Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.
authors.forename: Lois
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Cleve
authors.affiliation: Center for End-of-Life Transition Research, Department of Biobehavioral Health Science and Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Diana J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilkie
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000592:standards*; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results