CWCA CWCA Pain Management in Wound Care 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The WHO analgesic ladder recommends starting pain management with which class of medication for mild wound pain?
- Opioids
- Non-opioid analgesics (NSAIDs, acetaminophen) (Correct answer)
- Adjuvant analgesics only
- Nerve blocks
Correct answer: Non-opioid analgesics (NSAIDs, acetaminophen)
The WHO analgesic ladder starts with non-opioid medications such as NSAIDs and acetaminophen for mild pain before escalating to opioids.
Question 2: Which intervention is considered a non-pharmacological method for wound pain management?
- Ibuprofen administration
- Distraction techniques and relaxation (Correct answer)
- Opioid rotation
- Epidural analgesia
Correct answer: Distraction techniques and relaxation
Distraction, guided imagery, and relaxation techniques are evidence-based non-pharmacological strategies that reduce the perception of wound pain.
Question 3: Soaking a dry adherent dressing with normal saline before removal primarily serves to:
- Introduce antimicrobial agents into the wound
- Soften the dressing to reduce trauma and pain on removal (Correct answer)
- Increase wound moisture to promote autolytic debridement
- Rehydrate necrotic tissue for mechanical debridement
Correct answer: Soften the dressing to reduce trauma and pain on removal
Moistening a dried dressing before removal loosens adherence to prevent tearing of fragile wound tissue and reduces pain.
Question 4: In the CWCA framework, pain reassessment after an analgesic intervention should occur within:
- 24 hours
- 4–8 hours or at the next scheduled dressing change
- 1 hour for oral medications, 30 minutes for IV (Correct answer)
- Only if the patient reports worsening pain
Correct answer: 1 hour for oral medications, 30 minutes for IV
Reassessment timing depends on route: 1 hour for oral analgesics to allow absorption and peak effect, 30 minutes for IV medications.
Question 5: A patient with a diabetic foot ulcer reports no pain despite deep tissue involvement. This is most likely due to:
- Effective pain management by the care team
- Peripheral neuropathy causing sensory loss (Correct answer)
- Wound infection masking pain signals
- Patient stoicism and underreporting
Correct answer: Peripheral neuropathy causing sensory loss
Peripheral neuropathy, common in diabetes, causes sensory deficits that prevent patients from feeling pain even in deep or infected wounds.
Question 6: Which of the following accurately describes 'incident pain' in wound care?
- Constant background pain unrelated to activity
- Pain triggered by specific activities such as repositioning or dressing changes (Correct answer)
- Pain caused by infection
- Pain that occurs unpredictably without any identifiable cause
Correct answer: Pain triggered by specific activities such as repositioning or dressing changes
Incident pain is predictable pain triggered by specific activities such as movement, repositioning, or wound procedures.
CWCA CWCA Pain Management in Wound Care 2
The WHO analgesic ladder recommends starting pain management with which class of medication for mild wound pain?