A Study on the Correlation between Pain and Pain Anxiety during Wound Care in Burn Patients

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Wound care in burn patients is associated with severe anxiety that is characterized by feeling of fear and prediction of burn dressing pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between pain and pain anxiety in burn patients. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 60 eligible patients hospitalized in men’s and women’s burn wards of Mashhad Imam Reza Hospital, were selected using available sampling. Pain anxiety and pain severity were measured using self-report pain anxiety questionnaire and visual analog scale, respectively, before and after burn dressing during three weeks (once a week). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation test. Results: In this study, there was a significant linear correlation between pain and pain anxiety in the first week (r=0.512, p<0.001), but there was no significant linear correlation between these variables in the second (r=0.079, p=0.547) and third (r=0.167, p=0.203) weeks. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, assessment and treatment of pain anxiety are essential elements of pain care and management in burn patients.

Keywords

• burn
• pain
• anxiety
• mashahad
• iran