Comparisons between patients' and nurses' assessment of pain and medication efficacy in severe burn injuries

In order to provide burn patients with adequate pain relief, the nurses must be able to accurately evaluate the patients' pain levels and to assess whether sufficient analgesia is achieved or not. The present study examined this issue by comparing the pain ratings in 42 patients hospitalized for burn injuries and 42 nurses. The patient and the attending nurse were asked to rate, independently of each other, the intensity of the pain felt by the patient during a therapeutic procedure and at rest. When analgesic medication was given prior to the procedure, both the patients and the nurses were asked to estimate the degree of pain relief. All ratings were obtained using visual analogue and verbal scales. The results revealed significant but small correlations between the nurses' and patients' ratings. Frequently, the nurses underestimated or overestimated the patients' pain. Discrepancies were also observed in the evaluation of pain medication efficacy, the nurses showing a tendency to overestimate the degree of pain relief. The accuracy of the nurses' perception did not vary as a function of the patients' age, socioeconomic status or burn severity. However, the number of years of experience in burn-nursing had a significant influence on the nurses' estimation of the patients' pain during therapeutic procedures. Theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed with a particular emphasis on the need to implement systematic procedures to assess pain and success of analgesia. Additional recommendations to optimize pain management in burn patients are also made.     

Hypnotherapy as a treatment for pain in patients with burns: research and clinical considerations

Hypnotherapy has increasingly been included in the management of burn patients, particularly in the area of acute pain. To better understand such issues as (1) overall efficacy of hypnotherapy to alleviate acute burn pain, (2) instances in which hypnotherapy is contraindicated, (3) interaction of hypnotherapy with medication, (4) standard induction techniques to use with various age groups, (5) role of nursing and other staff in facilitating hypnotic effects, and (6) future methodological directions, we examined the clinical and methodological merits of recent studies of hypnoanalgesia. Through a computer search of the medical literature and cross-referencing recent bibliographies, we were able to find 17 studies in which hypnotherapy was applied to the management of burns. The literature generally supports the efficacy of this approach to reduce burn pain; however, little else can be concluded from these studies. Several recent studies have applied hypnotherapy to aspects of burn care other than pain using excellent experimental designs. It is suggested that future studies of acute pain management follow suit.     

Virtual reality pain control during burn wound debridement in the hydrotank

OBJECTIVE: Most burn-injured patients rate their pain during burn wound debridement as severe to excruciating. We explored the adjunctive use of water-friendly, immersive virtual reality (VR) to distract patients from their pain during burn wound debridement in the hydrotherapy tank (hydrotank). SETTING: This study was conducted on inpatients at a major regional burn center. PATIENTS: Eleven hospitalized inpatients ages 9 to 40 years (mean age, 27 y) had their burn wounds debrided and dressed while partially submerged in the hydrotank. INTERVENTION: Although a nurse debrided the burn wound, each patient spent 3 minutes of wound care with no distraction and 3 minutes of wound care in VR during a single wound care session (within-subject condition order randomized). OUTCOME MEASURES: Three 0 to 10 graphic rating scale pain scores (worst pain, time spent thinking about pain, and pain unpleasantness) for each of the 2 treatment conditions served as the primary dependent variables. RESULTS: Patients reported significantly less pain when distracted with VR [eg, "worst pain" ratings during wound care dropped from "severe" (7.6) to "moderate" (5.1)]. The 6 patients who reported the strongest illusion of "going inside" the virtual world reported the greatest analgesic effect of VR on worst pain ratings, dropping from severe pain (7.2) in the no VR condition to mild pain (3.7) during VR. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide the first available evidence from a controlled study that immersive VR can be an effective nonpharmacologic pain reduction technique for burn patients experiencing severe to excruciating pain during wound care. The potential applications of VR analgesia to other painful procedures (eg, movement or exercise therapy) and other pain populations are discussed.     

Morphine-Infused silver sulfadiazine (MISS) cream for burn analgesia: a pilot study

Pain is considered the most distressing symptom of a burn wound, with analgesia usually provided via oral or parenteral medications. Use of systemic opioids can be complicated by fluctuations in bioavailability, absorption, and clearance of drugs caused by the burn. There has been little research done in the area of topical medications for burn analgesia. The following is a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study assessing the safety (side effects) and efficacy (pain ratings and medications administered) of morphine-infused silver sulfadiazine cream for burn pain. Four patients are reported on (2 in each group). Only participants taking placebo reported side effects related to morphine and necessitated anxiolytic medications. Pain ratings in the treatment group ranged from 0 to 7 with a mean of 2.1, whereas the placebo group's ratings ranged from 2 to 8 with a mean of 5.6. The placebo group averaged 55.3 mg oral morphine per half day, whereas the treatment group averaged 42.9 mg.     

Does cartoon movie distraction decrease burned children's pain behavior?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate cartoon movie viewing as a practical and low-cost intervention to decrease burned children's pain behavior during dressing changes. Thirteen children, 4 to 12 years of age, with a mean TBSA burn of 7.9% were assessed using a reversal, single-subject experimental design. The experimental condition consisted of the presentation of a cartoon movie as a nonpharmacologic intervention in conjunction with a standardized analgesic medication. In the control condition children's pain was treated with the standardized analgesic medication only. Behavioral distress was measured during the first six dressing changes postburn with the Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress. No significant effect of cartoon movie distraction on observed behavioral distress in patients was found. Interrater reliability of the Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress was good (kappa =.87-.98). Wound debridement was found to be the most painful part of the dressing change. A simple, easily applicable, and low-cost distraction intervention such as presenting cartoon movies does not seem to be sufficiently powerful to measurably reduce burned children's distress during dressing changes. Findings are based on purely observational data. Inclusion of self-report measures in future studies might reveal intervention effects on anxiety and subjective pain perception.     

烧伤科护士疼痛认知状况调查

目的了解烧伤科护士对疼痛相关知识的掌握状况和在临床中的实践能力,为提高疼痛控制水平提供参考.方法对15所医院253名烧伤科护士进行问卷调查,用SPSS 11.0软件包进行统计处理.结果学历与职称是疼痛知识得分的主要影响因素;对疼痛的评估和疼痛控制方面的知识掌握较好,而对药物的作用、药物成瘾性和护理干预方面的知识掌握较差.结论烧伤科护士疼痛知识欠缺,建议从在校护士教育抓起,将疼痛知识的课程纳入护理学课程体系,同时面向在职护士,为临床护士提供多种形式的有针对性的疼痛知识继续教育,使护士在临床实践中积极参与疼痛管理.     

Accuracy of emergency nurses in assessment of patients’ pain

Pain is a common complaint in Emergency Departments. Inpatient studies have shown discrepancies between patients' and nurses' pain assessments. The accuracy of emergency nurse assessments of their patients' pain has not been well investigated. Using a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale (NRS), researchers asked patients to rate their pain intensity in triage. Separately, the triage nurse was asked to rate the patient's pain. This process was repeated with the same patients but different nurses after patients were taken back to a clinical area within the Emergency Department. At triage, patients' average pain intensity score was 7.5 +/- 2.2. The triage nurses' ratings were significantly lower at 5.1 +/- 2.4 (p <.001). In the clinical area, patients' scores were also significantly higher than nurses' at 7.7 +/- 2.2 and 4.2 +/- 2.3, respectively (p <.001). Differences between nurses' and patients' pain intensity scores depended on the patient's chief complaint. Considerable underestimation of patient's pain occurred in both triage and in the clinical area. Underestimation of patient's pain can have negative effects if appropriate treatment is withheld. Minimizing patient-nurse discrepancies in pain intensity ratings through careful evaluations and acceptance of the patient's self report of pain are important first steps in improving pain management in the Emergency Department.     

The efficacy and safety of fentanyl for the management of severe procedural pain in patients with burn injuries

Fentanyl has been shown to be effective for the management of intense pain of short duration. We have recently used intravenous fentanyl for burn wound procedures because of its rapid onset, high potency, and short duration. In this report, we reviewed our experience with fentanyl in a variety of procedural burn pain settings to develop specific recommendations about its effectiveness and safety for the treatment of pain in patients with burn injuries. The medical records of patients with burn injuries who received fentanyl for wound procedures over a 2-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, the amount of fentanyl administered, the level of analgesia achieved, and the incidence of adverse effects were analyzed. Fifty-five patients who were 9 months to 75 years old with burn wounds (range, 1%-90% of total body surface area) received 148 doses of fentanyl for the treatment of procedural pain. An average of 8.0 +/- 7.0 microg/kg of fentanyl (range, 0.7 to 38.0 microg/kg) was required for the first wound procedure with fentanyl. No correlation between dosage of fentanyl given and either age or percentage of total body surface area burned was observed. Transient respiratory depression was observed in 17 patients (31%). No patient required intubation or additional supplemental oxygen after the conclusion of the procedure. High doses of fentanyl are required to achieve adequate analgesia during some burn wound procedures. Respiratory depression associated with fentanyl use is transient but requires adequate preparation and trained personnel. Fentanyl may be effectively integrated into the pain control strategy for patients with burn injuries.     

Virtual reality as an adjunctive pain control during burn wound care in adolescent patients

For daily burn wound care procedures, opioid analgesics alone are often inadequate. Since most burn patients experience severe to excruciating pain during wound care, analgesics that can be used in addition to opioids are needed. This case report provides the first evidence that entering an immersive virtual environment can serve as a powerful adjunctive, nonpharmacologic analgesic. Two patients received virtual reality (VR) to distract them from high levels of pain during wound care. The first was a 16-year-old male with a deep flash burn on his right leg requiring surgery and staple placement. On two occasions, the patient spent some of his wound care in VR, and some playing a video game. On a 100 mm scale, he provided sensory and affective pain ratings, anxiety and subjective estimates of time spent thinking about his pain during the procedure. For the first session of wound care, these scores decreased 80 mm, 80 mm, 58 mm, and 93 mm, respectively, during VR treatment compared with the video game control condition. For the second session involving staple removal, scores also decreased. The second patient was a 17-year-old male with 33.5% total body surface area deep flash burns on his face, neck, back, arms, hands and legs. He had difficulty tolerating wound care pain with traditional opioids alone and showed dramatic drops in pain ratings during VR compared to the video game (e.g. a 47 mm drop in pain intensity during wound care). We contend that VR is a uniquely attention-capturing medium capable of maximizing the amount of attention drawn away from the 'real world', allowing patients to tolerate painful procedures. These preliminary results suggest that immersive VR merits more attention as a potentially viable form of treatment for acute pain.     

Differences in Pain Patterns for Infected and Noninfected Patients with Burn Injuries

The management of pain is a primary issue in burn care. Patients hospitalized for burn injuries experience severe pain on a daily basis, immediately after the injury and during the healing of the burn wound. Our clinical experience is that the intensity of pain is increased by wound infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate retrospectively whether patients experience increased pain intensity in conjunction with wound infection. A total of 165 patients with burn injuries were included, 60 of whom were diagnosed with infection. The results of this study showed a significant increase in pain intensity in association with infection. An increase in pain is one of the factors to be considered among the many assessments, tests, and treatments for patients with burn injuries.     

Nurses' assessment of pain in hospitalised patients.

This study compared the incidence of pain reported by hospitalised patients with that recorded by nurses, correlated patients' and nurses' ratings of pain intensity and explored the relative importance nurses placed on various criteria in pain assessment. Patients (n = 115) in a university teaching hospital rated pain intensity on a visual analogue scale (VAS) and indicated its source and duration. Nurses (n = 115) caring for them rated their pain intensity on a VAS and ranked the importance of 12 factors in their assessments. Seventy-two patients (63%) reported pain and 97 nurses (84%) indicated that their patients had pain (X2 = 13.94, p less than 0.001). Patients' and nurses' VAS ratings were poorly correlated (rs = 0.35, p less than 0.001). The highest ranked factors in nurses' assessments were: what the patient said; the patient's report of the severity of pain; the patient's facial expression and the patient's posture. It was concluded that the prevalence of pain was high and that nurses' judgements were poor.     

Nurses' assessment of pain in surgical patients

AIM: This paper reports a study to compare nurses' ratings of pain intensity and suffering (affect) in adult surgical patients with patients' own ratings of these variables, and to investigate whether pain ratings were influenced by cultural and ethnic differences. BACKGROUND: Studies show that postoperative pain continues to be under-treated in a large proportion of cases. The problem may be partly due to inaccurate pain assessment by nurses. METHOD: A convenience sample of 95 patients and 95 nurses in adult surgical units was selected from four hospitals in Jerusalem, Israel in 2003-2004. A questionnaire was administered to each patient by the researcher. The questionnaire included: (a) a Hebrew translation of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire for pain sensation, pain affect, and present pain intensity at rest and on movement; (b) visual analogue scales for overall pain intensity, suffering, and satisfaction with treatment; and (c) demographic and cultural data. Within a few minutes of the patient completing the questionnaire, a nurse who had been allocated to care for that patient made an independent assessment of the patient's pain. The nurse then left the patient's room and filled in the same questionnaire. FINDINGS: Nurses significantly underestimated all dimensions of pain on the above scales, but accurately assessed patient treatment satisfaction. There were no statistically significant effects for cultural and ethnic differences in pain assessment. Both types of clinical area where nurses worked and nurses' level of nursing education were found not to influence their assessment. CONCLUSION: The findings have implications for the management of postoperative pain by highlighting the need for more accurate pain assessment. Further research is required to elucidate the way in which nurses and patients conceptualize pain and to understand better the process of pain assessment in clinical nursing practice.     

Efficacy and safety of procedural sedation and analgesia for burn wound care

The study aim was to quantify efficacy and patient safety of registered nurse-administered procedural sedation and analgesia in a regional burn center. The investigators conducted a review of procedural sedation forms for all pediatric and adult patients admitted to this burn center from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2005, for demographic and clinical data including patient age, gender, body weight, TBSA, dates of burn injury and wound care procedures, length of procedure, pre- and postprocedural pain assessment, procedural sedation/analgesia medications and doses, adverse drug events, and related interventions. During the 12-month study period, a total of 328 burn patients received 1293 procedural sedation procedures; child subjects (≤ 18 years) received 356 procedures and adult subjects (19-87 years) received 937 procedures. The mean (SD) length of the procedure was 60.1 (22.49) minutes with a range of 10 to 170 minutes. The mean subject age was 34.2 years (range: 6 weeks to 87 years), 67% were male, and the mean TBSA was 17% (0.5-68%). Ninety-four percent received fentanyl for analgesia and 85% received midazolam for anxiolysis and amnesia. The mean preprocedural pain score was 3.2 and the mean postprocedural pain score was 2 (t = 14.795; df = 1243; P < .001). Ten adverse events, all respiratory related, were documented in eight patients, two of whom experienced a second adverse event for an overall adverse event rate of 0.77%. No patient required intubation. Procedural sedation administered by a registered nurse competent in administration and monitoring in a burn center provided safe and effective pain management during wound care.     

What is the impact of theoretical knowledge on children's nurses' post-operative pain management practices? An exploratory study

Despite the availability of the evidence to guide pain management practices, practices are often sub-optimal with children experiencing moderate to severe pain post-operatively. Limited theoretical knowledge about managing pain has been suggested as one reason for this. Several studies have identified gaps in nurses' theoretical knowledge. However, the affect of theoretical knowledge on pain management practices has not been explored. This explored whether there is a relationship between nurses' theoretical knowledge and the quality of their practices. Nurses (n=13) on one children's surgical ward were shadowed for a five-hour period during two-four shifts. Data about post-operative pain management practices were collected using a pain management checklist and field notes. Nurses (n=12) also completed the revised pain management knowledge test. Questionnaire scores were compared to the observational data. No positive relationship was found between nurses' level of theoretical knowledge and how well they actually managed pain. Nurses did not appear to routinely apply theoretical knowledge in practice. This may explain, at least in part, why pain management practices remain poor despite the evidence to guide practice being readily available. The hypothesis, put forward in other studies, that increasing nurses' theoretical knowledge about pain will improve practices may be overly simplistic.     

Observation of pain assessment and management--the complexities of clinical practice

Pain assessment and management are complex issues that embrace physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social dimensions. This observational study sought to investigate nurse-patient interactions associated with pain assessment and management in hospitalized postsurgical patients in clinical practice settings. Twelve field observations were carried out on Registered Nurses' activities relating to pain with their assigned patients. All nurses were involved in direct patient care in one surgical unit of a metropolitan teaching hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Six observation times were identified as key periods for activities relating to pain, which included change of shift and high activity periods. Each observation period lasted 2 hours and was examined on two occasions. Four major themes were identified as barriers to effective pain management: nurses' responses to interruptions of activities relating to pain, nurses' attentiveness to patient cues of pain, nurses' varying interpretations of pain, and nurses' attempts to address competing demands of nurses, doctors and patients. These findings provide some understanding of the complexities impacting on nurses' assessment and management of postoperative pain. Further research using this observational methodology is indicated to examine these influences in more depth. This knowledge may form the basis for developing and evaluating strategic intervention programmes that analyse nurses' management of postoperative pain and, in particular, their administration of opioid analgesics.     

Site Specificity of Pain and Tension in Tension-Type Headaches

Previous studies have not found a significant correlation between location of pain and electromyogram levels in chronic headache patients. However, these studies only examined a limited number of muscle groups and did not assess subjective tension levels. The present study evaluated a group of tension-type (n = 43) and migraine and tension-type (n = 30) headache patients. Measures were obtained at five muscle sites (frontalis, temporalis, masseter, splenius capitis, and trapezius) for patient ratings of headache pain, patient ratings of muscle tension, and electromyogram recordings cross-sectionally. Neither subjective pain nor tension ratings were found to be significantly related to electromyogram levels. The site-specificity relationship between chronic headache pain, subjective report of muscular tension, and electromyogram levels remains unclear.     

Association between self-report pain ratings of child and parent, child and nurse and parent and nurse dyads: meta-analysis

Title.  Association between self-report pain ratings of child and parent, child and nurse and parent and nurse dyads: meta-analysis.
Aim.  This paper is a report of a meta-analysis to investigate the association between self-report pain ratings for the dyads of child and parent, child and nurse and parent and nurse.
Background.  Existing research has shown conflicting results with regard to agreements of self-report pain ratings between the three dyads.
Data sources.  The CINAHL, Medline, Ovid and PsycINFO databases were searched using keyword, such as 'children/adolescents', 'parents/nurses', 'pain assessment', 'pain ratings', 'association' and 'agreement'. Studies published in English in or after 1990 were included.
Methods.  Meta-analysis methodology was applied to 12 pain assessment studies published between 1990 and 2007 which met the inclusion criteria. In the 12 studies a common effect size was estimated using the Pearson's correlation coefficient. Therefore, a fixed-effects model was chosen for this meta-analysis.
Results.  We found moderate summary effect sizes between self-reported pain ratings for the dyad of child and parent ( r  = 0·64) and the child and nurse dyad ( r  = 0·58) and a weak summary effect size of r  = 0·49 for the dyad of parent and nurse. The summarized effect sizes for each of the three dyads varied across the studies. A test of homogeneity ( Q -statistic) indicated that all effect size estimates were not homogeneous.
Conclusion.  Parents' and nurses' perceptions of children's pain should only be considered as estimates rather than expressions of the pain experienced, and not the same as children's self-reports. There is a need for education on selection of appropriate pain assessment scales in relation to the age and development of the child.