By Samantha Kuplicki, MSN, APRN-CNS, AGCNS-BC, CWCN-AP, CWS, RNFA
Should pain management interventions be put in place before debriding a venous ulcer?
Without question, yes. Any comprehensive wound treatment plan must include a thorough pain assessment, accounting for cyclical and non-cyclical pain sources. This will best guide interventions based on patient’s unique history, which can potentially include complicating factors such as complex personal pain management secondary to chronic pain, inability to tolerate specific interventions because of existing comorbid conditions, limited financial or social resources, etc. Multimodal pain management is standard of care, using the least invasive options and beginning pharmacologic therapy with the lowest necessary dosage possible.