DOI: 10.4103/ijb.ijb_19_25 ISSN: 0971-653X

Analyzing pain score changes in burn patients following analgesic treatment across treatment stages: A prospective observational study

Rajpal Singh, Pravesh Kanthed, C. M. Ravi Kumar, Prakash Doodhiya, Dipanjali Nath
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Background:

Burn pain is a complex condition and specific Pain measuring scale like Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) is required to assess its severity.

Aim:

The goal of our study is to use the NRS to measure pain in burn patients and treat it accordingly, as per the World Health Organization (WHO) analgesic ladder. Through this study, we intend to gain a comprehensive understanding of burn-related pain experience, the effectiveness of analgesics, and the factors that may influence pain perception.

Methods:

In our prospective observational study, we assessed 30 burn patients for their pain scores using NRS at different points of burn wound care, and the response of pain to analgesics was noted. They were evaluated based on the intensity of their pain and how they responded to analgesics given as per the modified WHO pain ladder at different points of burn wound care.

Results:

The analgesics demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing pain across multiple categories: at rest ( P < 0.001, median decrease from 5.0 to 3.0), in motion ( P < 0.001, median decrease from 7.0 to 4.50), sudden pain without stimulus ( P < 0.001, median decrease from 7.0 to 4.0), procedural pain/intraoperative ( P < 0.001, median decrease from 8.0 to 4.0), and postoperative pain/postprocedural ( P < 0.001, median decrease from 7.5 to 3.0). These findings signify the broad-spectrum effectiveness of analgesics in managing diverse pain scenarios.

Conclusion:

This study has provided a valuable insight into the potential clinical utility of medications/analgesics in managing pain in different burn scenarios, supporting their consideration as a viable option for comprehensive pain management strategies.

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