Background and objective:

Diabetic neuropathy is a complication of type 2 diabetes, it´s present in 95 % of patients, affecting the individual, family and social environment. The objective is to identify the epidemiological profile of pain secondary to moderate diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Materials and methods:

Descriptive cross-sectional study of pain using as a source of information the patient with moderate peripheral neuropathy secondary to type 2 diabetes. The severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy was established with the Michigan scale. The sample size was 145 patients. The epidemiological profile of pain evaluated with the McGill multidimensional questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha 0.88; it is assesses the intensity of pain in three independent categories (total pain assessment index [sensory, affective and evolutionary dimension], overall total intensity and current total intensity) and within each of them identifies the specific characteristics of pain. Statistical analysis included means, standard deviation, confidence interval for means, and percentages.

Results:

Total pain assessment index 9.74 ± 1.40 (95 % CI; 9.51-9.97), sensory dimension 5.02 ± 0.84 (95 % CI; 4.88-5.16), affective dimension 3.75 ± 0.94 (95 % CI; 3.59-3.90), and evolutionary dimension 0.96 ± 0.18 (95 % CI; 0.93-1.00). Specific characteristics of the total pain assessment Index identify shaking 35.2 %, burning 31.0 %, suffocating 40.0 %, exhausting 33.1 %, depressing 29.7 % and constant 35.2 %. Total general intensity of pain 7.70 ± 1.29 (95 % CI;7.49-7.91). Current total intensity 40.7 % "intense".

Conclusion:

The epidemiological profile of pain is of high intensity, burning, penetrating, fixed or diffuse, accompanied by generally constant itching, with negative emotional repercussions, including feelings of anxiety, secondary to depressing, exhausting, suffocating and mortifying pain.

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