NursPainPrevent: A Prospective Observational Study on Pain During a Bed Bath

Although bed baths are known to cause pain, the engendered pain frequency and intensity remain poorly studied. This prospective, observational study was undertaken to examine prospectively, on a given day, patients' bed bath-associated pain in the general in-hospital population.

Eight external investigators observed 166 bed baths given in 23 units in 5 hospitals. Using validated assessment scales specific to the patients' clinical situations, they established pain scores.

Expert observers rated bed bath-induced pain as moderate-to-severe for 48% of the patients, among whom 51.9% had not received prophylactic analgesia prior to the procedure. Only 7.2% benefited from evaluation with a validated pain scale. Astute attention-distraction techniques were applied to shift attention during 16.8% of the bed baths. Caregivers used verbal guidance for 85% of the procedures, and adapted touch and rhythm of the gestures for 84.3%.

Bed baths generate moderate-to-severe pain intensity. Evaluation and recourse to analgesia remain insufficient despite caregivers' attention accorded to patient comfort and positioning.

The results of this study could contribute to sensitizing professionals to preventing pain linked with routine nursing care. Four axes for improvement were highlighted: evaluation improvement, analgesia, nonpharmacological approaches, and adapted mobilization techniques.