The use of Dermafill Cellulose Wound-Care Dressing for management of pain in wounds in the hospice and palliative care setting (410-A)

Objectives: 1. Recognize that wounds have significant negative impact on a person's quality of life and wound pain is reported as the most distressing symptom. 2. Discuss the medications that have been studied in clinical trials as topical agents aimed at reducing pain in the wound. 3. Recognize Dermafill Cellulose Wound Care Dressing as a cost-effective treatment option for the management of wound pain in the hospice and palliative care setting. Background: There is growing evidence that wounds have significant negative impact on a person's quality of life and wound pain is reported as the most distressing symptom. When reviewing evidence-based literature, the focus of the majority of studies is relief of pain during dressing changes as patients report the pain at time of dressing removal as the greatest pain related to the wound. The few studies that focused on overall wound pain reduction in the wound had limited success of pain reduction. Case description: A 67-year-old male admitted to hospice with end-stage cardiac disease presents with a painful leg wound as a result of “bumping into the coffee table.” Patient lives at home with his caregiver-wife. The patient has no known allergies. Patient's chief complaint is pain and inability to “do anything because of this darn leg!” Patient rates pain at an 8 on the 0-10 scale with the pain escalating to a 10 when manipulated or touched. Patient currently takes oral pain medication without relief from pain. During this presentation, we will review past treatments, potential future treatment options, and conclude by presenting the treatment option we chose-Dermafill, which reduced patient's pain to a 0 on the 0-10 scale without any oral pain medications. Patient was able to walk without pain and reported a significant increase in his quality of life because of this product. Conclusion: The presenter recognizes Dermafill Cellulose Wound Care Dressing as a cost-effective treatment option for the management of wound pain in the hospice and palliative care setting. It is a valuable dressing in the treatment of wound pain. Physicians and nurses can perform weekly assessments without removing the dressing: eliminating the need for frequent and painful dressing changes in our patients.