Page 371 Guide to Pain Management in Low-Resource Settings

Appendix: Glossary

Andreas Kopf

Introduction
review, these experts agreed to take advantage of the
A list of pain terms was fi rst published in 1979 (PAIN publication of the draft collection of syndromes and
1979;6:249–52). Many of the terms were already estab- their system for classifi cation, to issue an updated list of
lished in the literature. One, “allodynia,” quickly came terms with defi nitions and notes on usage. Edited by H.
into use in the columns of PAIN and other journals. Merskey and N. Bogduk, the updated list was published
Th e terms have been translated into Portuguese (Re- in 1994 by IASP as Classifi cation of Chronic Pain, Sec-
vista Brasiliera de Anestesiologia 1980;30:349–51), into ond Edition.
French (H. Dehen, “Lexique de la douleur,” La Presse Th e usage of individual terms in medicine often
Médicale 1983;12:1459–60), and into Turkish (as “Agri varies widely. Th at need not be a cause of distress, pro-
Teriml,” translated by T. Aldemir, Journal of the Turkish vided that each author makes it clear precisely how he is
Society of Algology 1989;1:45–6). A supplementary note using a word. Nevertheless, it is convenient and helpful
was added to these pain terms in PAIN (1982;14:205–6). to others if words can be used that have agreed techni-
Th e original list was adopted by the fi rst Sub- cal meanings. Th e defi nitions provided in this Appendix
committee on Taxonomy of IASP. Subsequent revisions are intended to be specifi c and explanatory and to serve
and additions were prepared by a subgroup of the Com- as an operational framework, not as a constraint on fu-
mittee, particularly Drs. U. Lindblom, P.W. Nathan, W. ture development. Th ey represent agreement among
Noordenbos, and H. Merskey. In 1984, in particular diverse specialties including anesthesiology, dentistry,
response to some observations by Dr. M. Devor, a fur- neurology, neurosurgery, neurophysiology, psychiatry,
ther review was undertaken both by correspondence and psychology.
and during IASP’s 4th World Congress on Pain. Th ose Th e terms and defi nitions are not meant to pro-
taking part in that review included Dr. Devor, the other vide a comprehensive glossary, but rather a minimum
colleagues just mentioned, and Dr. J.M. Mumford, Sir standard vocabulary for members of diff erent disci-
Sydney Sunderland, and Dr. P.W. Wall. Following that plines who work in the fi eld of pain.

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