Abstract
Background and Objective. Pain evaluation in children can be a difficult task, since it possesses sensory and affective components that are often hard to discriminate. Infrared thermography has previously been used as a diagnostic tool for pain detection in animals; therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the presence of temperature changes during dental extractions and to evaluate its correlation with heart rate changes as markers of pain and discomfort. Methods. Thermographic changes in the lacrimal caruncle and heart rate measurements were recorded in healthy children scheduled for dental extraction before and during the procedure and compared. Afterwards, correlation between temperature and heart rate was assessed. Results. We found significant differences in temperature and heart rate before the procedure and during the dental extraction (mean difference 4.07°C, p < 0.001, and 18.11 beats per minute, p < 0.001) and no evidence of correlation between both measurements. Conclusion. Thermographic changes in the lacrimal caruncle can be detected in patients who undergo dental extractions. These changes appear to be stable throughout time and to possess very little intersubject variation, thus making them a candidate for a surrogate marker of pain and discomfort. Future studies should be performed to confirm this claim.
Highlights
Pain evaluation in small children can be a difficult task, since it is a multidimensional experience that possesses sensory and affective components that are often hard to discriminate by the existing scores [1, 2]
Infrared thermography has previously been used as a diagnostic tool for pain detection in animals; the aim of this study was to assess the presence of temperature changes during dental extractions and to evaluate its correlation with heart rate changes as markers of pain and discomfort
We found no evidence of correlation between temperature and heart rate at the moment of the first measure (R2 = 0.16; p = 0.10), at the moment of the tooth extraction (R2 = 0.02; p = 0.57), or in the mixed effects repeated measures model (p = 0.46) (Figure 3)
Summary
Pain evaluation in small children can be a difficult task, since it is a multidimensional experience that possesses sensory and affective components that are often hard to discriminate by the existing scores [1, 2]. Observational pain measurements focus on behavioral clues, such as facial expressions, movement, cry, and sleeping cycles, that allow identification of the presence of pain and its quantification in a qualitative basis [2, 4, 5] These measurements have been shown to possess higher degrees of agreement between raters and among different instruments [4] and can be complimented with surrogate markers based on physiological changes that occur in response to pain, like heart rate changes and cortisol serum levels [6, 7]. Thermographic changes in the lacrimal caruncle can be detected in patients who undergo dental extractions These changes appear to be stable throughout time and to possess very little intersubject variation, making them a candidate for a surrogate marker of pain and discomfort.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
