Descrição
Introduction and aims
Long lasting illnesses such as cancer require a multidimensional pain assessment that can provide a more complete understanding of the pain experienced by subjects.
The Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool (APPT) is a measure of the location, intensity and quality of pain, validated in English and Spanish for children and adolescents 8 to 17 years. The measure of location consists of a body outline diagram; the measure of intensity is a 10 centimeter word graphic rating scale; the measure of pain quality is a list of 67 descriptors categorized in sensory, affective, evaluative and temporal dimensions.
This study examined the properties of the Portuguese version of the APPT, which was previously submitted to semantic and cultural validation.
Methods
Eighty-eight children and adolescents (8-17 years old) with cancer, either hospitalized or in the out-patient clinic, were asked to report their pain using the APPT. If they were not in pain, they were asked to recall their last pain episode. A principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted. We analysed if type of tumour and time elapsed since the diagnosis were related to the total number of pain descriptors used and to the number of descriptors in each dimension. We also examined the correlation between pain intensity and the number of descriptors and number of locations marked.
Results
All descriptors were used by at least one child. Only one child suggested a new word. PCA with 4 factors explained 29,48% of the variance. Two factors contain mainly sensory descriptors; one factor includes a mix of sensory and affective descriptors and one factor a mix of sensory and temporal descriptors.
Type of tumour and time elapsed since diagnosis were not related to the total number of descriptors used, to the number of descriptors used in each dimension. The correlation between pain intensity and the numbers of descriptors used was significant (p< 0,001, r=0,38).
Discussion
In the Portuguese version, the list of words seems to represent a sensory, an affective and a temporal dimension. The results are not very different from those of the original scale, although the restricted range of variance and small sample size should be considered. Concurrent validity may be supported by the correlation between pain intensity and the numbers of descriptors used.
Conclusion
The Portuguese version of the APPT is a promising tool to assess pain in a multidimensional way, requiring further research.
; Fernandes, Ananda Maria 
