Editing Pain (section)

==Epidemiology==
Pain is the main reason for visiting an [[emergency department]] in more than 50% of cases,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Cordell WH, Keene KK, Giles BK, Jones JB, Jones JH, Brizendine EJ | title = The high prevalence of pain in emergency medical care | journal = The American Journal of Emergency Medicine | volume = 20 | issue = 3 | pages = 165–169 | date = May 2002 | pmid = 11992334 | doi = 10.1053/ajem.2002.32643 }}</ref> and is present in 30% of family practice visits.<ref name="pmid12160512">{{cite journal | vauthors = Hasselström J, Liu-Palmgren J, Rasjö-Wrååk G | title = Prevalence of pain in general practice | journal = European Journal of Pain | volume = 6 | issue = 5 | pages = 375–385 | year = 2002 | pmid = 12160512 | doi = 10.1016/S1090-3801(02)00025-3 | s2cid = 798849 }}</ref> Several [[epidemiological]] studies have reported widely varying prevalence rates for chronic pain, ranging from 12 to 80% of the population.<ref name="pmid20358856">{{cite journal | vauthors = Abu-Saad Huijer H | title = Chronic pain: a review | journal = Le Journal Medical Libanais. The Lebanese Medical Journal | volume = 58 | issue = 1 | pages = 21–27 | year = 2010 | pmid = 20358856 }}</ref> It becomes more common as people approach death. A study of 4,703 patients found that 26% had pain in the last two years of life, increasing to 46% in the last month.<ref name=Death2010>{{cite journal | vauthors = Smith AK, Cenzer IS, Knight SJ, Puntillo KA, Widera E, Williams BA, Boscardin WJ, Covinsky KE | title = The epidemiology of pain during the last 2 years of life | journal = Annals of Internal Medicine | volume = 153 | issue = 9 | pages = 563–569 | date = November 2010 | pmid = 21041575 | pmc = 3150170 | doi = 10.7326/0003-4819-153-9-201011020-00005 }}</ref>

A survey of 6,636 children (0–18 years of age) found that, of the 5,424 respondents, 54% had experienced pain in the preceding three months. A quarter reported having experienced recurrent or continuous pain for three months or more, and a third of these reported frequent and intense pain. The intensity of chronic pain was higher for girls, and girls' reports of chronic pain increased markedly between ages 12 and 14.<ref name="pmid10863045">{{cite journal | vauthors = Perquin CW, Hazebroek-Kampschreur AA, Hunfeld JA, Bohnen AM, van Suijlekom-Smit LW, Passchier J, van der Wouden JC | title = Pain in children and adolescents: a common experience | journal = Pain | volume = 87 | issue = 1 | pages = 51–58 | date = July 2000 | pmid = 10863045 | doi = 10.1016/S0304-3959(00)00269-4 | s2cid = 9813003 }}</ref>