Pain Relief For Wound Dressing

Pain management in wound care is a constant concern for clinicians.

Pain relief for wound dressing.

Common wound related etiologies include decubitus ulcers mucositis and procedures such as debridement dressing changes or radiation treatments 2 3. Use dressing securement techniques that ensure longer wear time of the dressing selecting products that are gentle to skin for removal. World union of wound healing societies 2004 principles of best practice. One trial indicated that pain relief achieved over 5 days with ibuprofen dressings could represent a clinically relevant reduction in pain.

Whether ensuring that a palliative patient can rest easily and with dignity or minimizing the pain experienced with a dressing change or even a debriding procedure wound care is fraught with pain and thus opportunities for pain management. Pain assessment results demonstrated that respondents made a general assessment of pain rather than specifically assessing patients pain at the time of wound dressing changes. This pain is often described as sharp aching or throbbing. Incident pain occurs at the wound site throughout the day during simple activities such as sneezing coughing walking or changing position.

The world union of wound healing societies differentiates between four types of pain. Typically caused by damage to body tissue. Products designed to be non traumatic are most frequently used to prevent tissue trauma. Gauze is most likely to cause pain.

White r harding k 2006 trauma and pain in wound care. Talking to the patient was the most important factor for eight countries but for other countries facial expression and body language were the most important. There is pain related to the wound itself and what is called incidental pain pain that is caused by dressing changes debridement or other types of medical care. World health organization 1996 cancer pain relief.

Dried out dressings and adherent products are most likely to cause pain and trauma at dressing changes. Two trials tested a dressing containing ibuprofen however the pain measures and time frames reported were different. Minimising pain at wound dressing related procedures. Procedural pain is directly related to activities and procedures like a daily wound dressing change.

Choose a dressing that can stay in place longer if pain is an issue and choose a dressing that promotes moist wound healing. Wound dressings help protect your wound while it heals so you need to follow your doctor s wound care instructions closely to make sure you are using and changing your dressings correctly. Background pain can be an intermittent or continuous nagging pain at the site of a wound even at rest. Dressing removal is considered to be the time of most pain.

Often wound pain is a combination of nociceptive or neuropathic pain 1.