PAIN IN CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to describe the pain experienced by children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. A patient sample composed of 33 children, 7-16 y of age, with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was included in the study. The children, their parents, and the attending rheumatologist assessed the child's pain using the Abu-Saad pediatric pain assessment tool. Ln addition, a disease activity index was used by the physician. All children reported pain. This was most often described as hurting, stinging, warm, and uncomfortable. Significant correlations were found for present pain between the child, parent, and physician. The worst pain of the child for the previous week, and not the present pain, correlated with the disease activity as rated by the physician. These findings indicate a need for pain assessment in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and emphasize the importance of longitudinal studies in this area.