Burn injuries, pain and distress: exploring the role of stress symptomatology

Forty-three consecutive patients were assessed for post-traumatic stress 7 days after admission to hospital. Patients were asked to complete the Impact-of-Event Scale. Findings indicated that among the 43 patients 52.1 per cent experienced serious levels of stress symptomatology. A Visual Analog Thermometer was employed to measure the pain experienced at rest and during therapeutic procedures. High levels of post-traumatic stress were associated with higher pain scores during therapeutic procedures and more pain when at rest.