The impact of atraumatic vs conventional dressings on pain and stress

To compare the pain and stress experiences of patients with chronic wounds being treated with atraumatic vs conventional dressings at dressing change. Method: This exploratory study adopted an independent samples design to identify any differences between reported levels of pain and stress associated with the use of atraumatic and conventional dressings used in treatment regimens of patients with chronic wounds. Physiological and psychological assessments of pain and stress were recorded at dressing change (including numerical ratings, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate, GSR, salivary cortisol and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire surveys).