Measuring distress in South African children during burns dressing changes: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric burn care
• Pain and distress measurement
• Cross-cultural health assessment

Background:

• Burns dressing changes are distressing for pediatric patients.
• Existing distress measures may not be sensitive or culturally appropriate for South African children.
• A need exists for a practical, fair, and effective distress measurement tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a practical, evidence-based, and culturally sensitive test battery.
• To accurately measure distress in South African children undergoing burn dressing changes.
• To ensure the test battery is language- and culture-fair.

Main Methods:

• A broad test battery for pediatric procedural distress was identified from literature.
• Measures included physiological (heart rate), observational (FLACC, PBCL, CHEOPS), and procedural (time, nurse number) data.
• The battery was piloted, modified for practicality and sensitivity, and tested on South African children with burns.

Main Results:

• The modified battery included the Children's Hospital Eastern Ontario Pain Scale (CHEOPS), dressing change duration, nurse staffing, and nurses' qualitative insights.
• The combined measures proved practical and sensitive in assessing children's distress levels.
• The final battery demonstrated effectiveness in capturing distress during burn dressing changes.

Conclusions:

• Distress during burn dressing changes in South African children is multifaceted.
• A comprehensive assessment requires a combination of objective, observational, and qualitative methods.
• The developed test battery is suitable for diverse linguistic and cultural contexts.