title: Pain Measurement through Temperature Changes in Children Undergoing Dental Extractions.
abstract: Background and Objective. Pain evaluation in children can be a difficult task, since it possesses sensory and affective components that are often hard to discriminate. Infrared thermography has previously been used as a diagnostic tool for pain detection in animals; therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the presence of temperature changes during dental extractions and to evaluate its correlation with heart rate changes as markers of pain and discomfort. Methods. Thermographic changes in the lacrimal caruncle and heart rate measurements were recorded in healthy children scheduled for dental extraction before and during the procedure and compared. Afterwards, correlation between temperature and heart rate was assessed. Results. We found significant differences in temperature and heart rate before the procedure and during the dental extraction (mean difference 4.07°C, p < 0.001, and 18.11 beats per minute, p < 0.001) and no evidence of correlation between both measurements. Conclusion. Thermographic changes in the lacrimal caruncle can be detected in patients who undergo dental extractions. These changes appear to be stable throughout time and to possess very little intersubject variation, thus making them a candidate for a surrogate marker of pain and discomfort. Future studies should be performed to confirm this claim.
authors.affiliation: Coordinación para la Innovación y Aplicación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Sierra Leona 550, 78210 San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico.
authors.forename: Eleazar S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kolosovas-Machuca
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Epidemiología Clínica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Venustiano Carranza 2405, 78210 San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico.
authors.forename: Mario A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Epidemiología Clínica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Venustiano Carranza 2405, 78210 San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ramírez-GarcíaLuna
authors.affiliation: Coordinación para la Innovación y Aplicación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Sierra Leona 550, 78210 San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Posgrado de Estomatología Pediátrica, Facultad de Estomatología, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Manuel Nava 4, 78290 San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico.
authors.forename: Amaury J
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2314-8465
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pozos-Guillen
authors.affiliation: Posgrado de Estomatología Pediátrica, Facultad de Estomatología, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Manuel Nava 4, 78290 San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico.
authors.forename: Nadia P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Campos-Lara
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Epidemiología Clínica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Venustiano Carranza 2405, 78210 San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pierdant-Perez
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013696:Temperature; D013817:Thermography; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*