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Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
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Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram

Published on: July 7, 2023

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Drawing the abdominal pain: A powerful tool to distinguish between organic and functional abdominal pain

Joachim Opp1, Mia Schürmann2, Andreas Jenke3

  • 1Sozialpädiatrisches Zentrum, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Oberhausen, Oberhausen, Germany.

Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|February 22, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Analyzing children's drawings and interactions during medical interviews can help distinguish between functional and organic abdominal pain (AP). This approach offers new diagnostic clues for pediatric AP, reducing healthcare costs.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Medical Psychology
  • Diagnostic Methods

Background:

  • Abdominal pain (AP) in children presents a significant healthcare economic burden.
  • Current diagnostic tools lack reliability in differentiating organic from functional AP.
  • Previous research suggests patient's graphic expression and interactional behavior may offer new diagnostic avenues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if analysis of children's graphic expression of pain and interactional behavior can differentiate functional from organic AP.
  • To explore novel methods for diagnosing pediatric abdominal pain.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted conversation analyses of physician-patient encounters.
  • Analyzed graphical expressions of AP-based pain.
  • Recorded and analyzed twenty-two patient-physician interactions.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences were observed between children with organic and functional AP.
  • Children with organic AP viewed drawing their pain as a duty.
  • Children with functional AP used drawing as an opportunity for detailed symptom description and quality of life impact.

Conclusions:

  • Patient interaction strategies during a drawing task provide valuable clues for differentiating functional AP from organic causes.
  • This method may aid in determining the need for further workup for organic abdominal pain in children.
Abstract

Keywords:
APchildrenconversation analysisinteraction

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