Background pain in burn patients: routine measurement and recording of pain intensity in a burn unit.

It goes without saying that pain following a burn must be treated but it is not so evident to measure and document the intensity of pain and the efficacy of treatment. Since 1994 the authors have routinely measured background pain, that is, at rest, along with temperature and pulse rate. For analysis and quality assessment a relational database programme is used in the ward. In this paper the authors' experience is reported from a consecutive series of 98 patients with burn injuries who assessed the intensity of pain on a visual analogue scale. There were great intra- and inter-individual variations in pain intensity. Highest values were found during the first week of treatment when female patients experienced pain more intensively than male. For other time periods there was no statistical significant difference between the sexes. Pain intensity and severity of burn was not related except during the second week when patients with major burns had a tendency to express more pain than moderate burns. Measurement of background pain along with other routine registrations is easy and not time-consuming. Patients needing intensified pain treatment can be identified. For research and quality assessment a computerized patient register is of great help.