Pain management of wound care

Children and adults still suffer pain during wound dressing changes despite national guidelines. Assessing and managing pain are essential components of comprehensive wound care. Developmentally sensitive pain assessment tools are available to measure verbal, behavioral, and physiologic responses to pain. Holistic pain assessment includes pain intensity, location, description, relief measures, cultural background, and the patient's developmental level and anxiety. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions should be combined to manage pain based upon patient's response and nursing assessment. Nurses with a fundamental knowledge of pain assessment and management provide their patients with pain and symptom relief during wound care.