Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Hyperalgesia in outpatients with dermal injury: quantitative sensory testing versus a novel simple technique.
Dermal inflammation from many causes may produce a reversible period of hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain perception) or allodynia (pain from innocuous stimuli). Hyperalgesia and allodynia have received relatively little attention in clinical trials of acute pain. We sought to quantitate tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in outpatients presenting with acute dermal injuries. ⋯ We conclude that hyperalgesia is a prominent contributor to discomfort in acute dermal injury and hence is a legitimate therapeutic target. Quantitation of the contribution of thermal hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia and assessment of their management is feasible using simple, rugged, low-cost methods. This inexpensive methodology may be useful in everyday clinical practice as well as in clinical research evaluating pharmacological agents to manage hyperalgesia.