Minimising Pain

Patients may be extremely sensitive to even the slightest touch, so handle wounds very gently and avoid any unnecessary stimulus or manipulation.

• Identify what the patient thinks triggers or reduces their pain and use any approaches or analgesics which have been effective in the past
• Vary the procedure in response to pain, allowing the patient to pace the procedure and giving "time out" breaks when requested or when pain assessment suggests that discomfort is becoming unacceptable. In this case, reconsider your dressing selection
• Encourage the patient to tell you immediately if the procedure is causing increased pain and use frequent verbal checks and pain assessment tools for feedback on pain levels