Assessment of pain arising during wound dressing change

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of pain arising during wound dressing change. Methods: This study was a descriptive and correlational study. Our study evaluating the wound and dressing pain included 263 patients who agreed to participate. The patient and wound characteristics were analyzed using a form evaluating patients’ sociodemographic characteristics. Of these patients, 250 who reported their pain were evaluated for wound pain and pain arising during wound dressing change. Results: According to the age distribution of the patients, the youngest patient was 18 years old, the oldest patient was 97 years old. It was found that there were 56 patients with chronic disease. In terms of wound characteristics, it was found that 69.6 % of the patients had acute wound, serosanguinous and purulent structure according to exudate type was more common with 32.6 %. The wet-to-dry dressing change used as the dressing technique was the most commonly used technique. In terms of wound site, 41,5 % of the wounds were found to be in the upper limb. Of the patients with wound, 95.1 % (250) reported that they had pain due to wound. When we evaluated the pain severity during the dressing process, it was found that of the patients, 61.6 % (154) felt a mild pain before dressing, 32 % (80) felt a severe pain during wound dressing, and 44.4 % (111) felt a disturbing pain after dressing. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it was found that the wrong choice of wound management and dressing were the causes of pain arising during dressing. In order to increase awareness, it is recommended that health workers participate in necessary trainings, care for the patient’s demands, be in communication with the patient, reduce the level of stress, and exercise due care to minimize pain. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.