Factors influencing the expectation of pain among patients in a children's burns unit

An assessment of early Child Life Therapy pain and anxiety management: A prospective randomised controlled trial

“…Distraction provided by nursing and medical staff is often ad hoc, intermittent and may refocus the child on the painful procedure being undertaken due to staff members returning to the prescribed task. CLTPs, however, would be able to focus their complete attention on the child, providing uninterrupted distraction throughout the procedure [39], and would therefore be capable of blunting the pain experience [38]. Our results remain consistent with this theory, as a significant reduction was found in those children exposed to CLT, as rated by an independent observer.…”

“…One aspect of Melzack and Wall's Gate Control Theory of pain suggests that as the mind has the ability to cope with limited amounts of information at any one time [38], therefore distraction provided by CLT would seem likely to be highly effective in reducing the experience of pain [10]. A child focused on pain may suffer an increased pain experience, whereas a child distracted, may experience reduced levels of pain [39]. Distraction provided by nursing and medical staff is often ad hoc, intermittent and may refocus the child on the painful procedure being undertaken due to staff members returning to the prescribed task.…”

Burn Injury Pain: The Continuing Challenge

“…13,26,30,58,171 This problem is not limited to a particular phase of burn recovery but is a frequent clinical observation during the healing phase. Moreover, the healing phase can last weeks, months, and sometimes even years, during which time the patient must endure repetitive, exquisitely painful, wound care and/or surgical procedures.…”