Australasian emergency care
-
Australas Emerg Care · Mar 2021
Pain assessment following burn injury in Australia and New Zealand: Variation in practice and its association on in-hospital outcomes.
Pain is common following burn injury. Pain assessments are required to ensure appropriate pain management is provided. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and potential variation in practice of validated and documented pain assessment following burn injury in Australian and New Zealand burn units, identify clinical characteristics of patients who receive a pain assessment, and explore the associations between receiving a pain assessment and in-hospital outcomes. ⋯ There are differences in the profile of patients who receive a pain assessment after burn injury. The findings of this study will be reported back to designated burns units to improve pain assessment rates and patient care.