Pain distress: the negative emotion associated with procedures in ICU patients

ConclusionsProcedural pain has both sensory and emotional dimensions. We found that, although procedural pain intensity (the sensory dimension) and distress (the emotional dimension) may closely covary, there are certain factors than can preferentially influence each of the dimensions. Clinicians are encouraged to appreciate the multidimensionality of pain when they perform procedures and use this knowledge to minimize the patient ’s pain experience.
Source: Intensive Care Medicine - Category: Intensive Care Source Type: research