Marita Widar

Long-term pain conditions after a stroke.

The aim of this study was to classify and describe the characteristics of different long-term pain conditions after a stroke by clinical examination and pain assessment using the Pain-O-Meter and a Pain questionnaire. Pain was classified as central post-stroke pain (n = 15), nociceptive pain (n = 18), and tension-type headache (n = 10). In 65%, pain onset was within 1-6 months and the pain intensity revealed individual differences. Many pain descriptors was common, some were discriminating as burning in central and cramping in nociceptive pain, and pressing and worrying in headache. More than half with central or nociceptive pain had continuous or almost continuous pain. Cold was the factor mostly increasing the pain in central, physical movements in nociceptive pain, and stress and anxiety in headache. More than one-third had no pain treatment and two-thirds of those with central pain had no or inadequate prescribed pain treatment. The clinical findings support the classification of pain and describe discriminating and common pain characteristics in pain conditions after a stroke.

Pain in persons with post-polio: the Swedish version of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI).

Increasing muscular atrophy and joint instability in the post-polio syndrome (PPS) leads to muscle and joint pain. The aim of this study was to describe how persons with post-polio syndrome (PPS) perceive their pain and how the pain affects their everyday lives. The Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI-S) was used together with supplementary questions concerning location and verbal description of the pain. The study group comprised 37 persons with PPS who had had pain for an average of 19 years. Most commonly reported was pain from the joints of the extremities, followed by pain from the lower back. The verbal description suggests that pain is a palpable health problem for this study group. The results of the MPI-S show that women had the most pain and that the younger the persons are, the more the pain involves negative stress experiences. Activities such as outdoor work, social and other activities away from home involve difficulties, according to the results. The study group could manage their pain, experienced social support, and especially women managed to carry out household chores despite their pain. The MPI-S demonstrates acceptable reliability for this study group.

79 PAIN CONDITIONS AFTER A STROKE

organisation of training, the integration of pain assessment in the basic parameters, a foreseen place in the nurse’s medical record for the evaluation and/or the treatment of pain are factors which supported the use of pain assessment tools. Except the training organisation, the odds ratio obtained in multivariate analysis confirmed the trends observed in bivariate analysis. Conclusion: This study highlights the influence of certain factors on the use of pain assessment tools. The low percentage of use pain assessment tools obtained in the emergency department is striking, more especially as this unit is a main access of the hospital. Belgian national project: “Child Acute Pain” (funded by the “Institut National Maladie Invalidité”)