Pain and anxiety with burn dressing changes: Patient self-report

Pain and anxiety are integral parts of burn dressing care. Descriptions of pain and anxiety from the patients' perspectives enhance our understanding of their experiences. This descriptive study measured relationships between self-reported pain and anxiety Twenty-four patients who had an uncomplicat ed flame or scald wound reported scores immediately before, immediately aft er, and 1/2 hour after dressing changes. Results indicated that pain and an xiety increased until day 4. Pain correlated with anxiety. Self-report scor es showed that pain and anxiety are perceived by patients in a similar mann er. Self-report scores are of great value because they indicate the degree of relief achieved with medication. Through the descriptive study, we found that the pain score immediately after dressing changes was greater than 3 on all study days. This finding indicates a need to further examine the way pain is managed with dressing changes.