Acute Pain and Posttraumatic Stress After Pediatric Injury

OBJECTIVE: Using a prospective, longitudinal design, we examined the relationship between acute pain and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in youth following injury. METHODS: Children aged 8-17 years who sustained an injury (N = 243) and their parents participated in baseline interviews to assess children's worst pain since injury. 6 months later, participants completed follow-up interviews to assess child PTSS. RESULTS: Pain as assessed by the Color Analogue Pain Scale (CAS) predicted PTSS 6 months after injury, even when controlling for demographic and empirically based risk factors. On the other hand, pain as assessed by the Faces Pain Rating Scale was not a significant independent predictor of PTSS. CONCLUSIONS: The CAS may be a useful addition to existing screening tools for PTSS among children. Additional research is warranted to understand underlying mechanisms linking acute pain and PTSS to improve assessment, prevention, and treatment approaches and promote optimal recovery after pediatric injury.