title: Pain prevalence, socio-demographic and clinical features in patients with chronic ulcers.
abstract: Chronic wounds are considered a worldwide epidemic and pain is the most frequently symptom referred by the patients who have this type of wound. The aim was to assess the prevalence of pain in chronic wounds and relate socio-demographic and clinical variables to pain. This is an analytical cross-sectional study, carried out in Basic Health Units (BHU), Family Health Strategy (ESF) and in a university hospital in two cities of Minas Gerais. 200 individuals who had chronic ulcers of different etiologies participated. Data collection took place between October 2012 and January 2013. The majority of participants (69%) reported they were in pain during the interview. Subjects with higher education had more pain. Patients with venous ulcers had less severe pain, and arterial ulcers were responsible for scoring the highest value of pain. It was found that most patients with chronic wounds feel pain; its intensity depends on the type of wound and this symptom should be recognized while caring for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Faculty of the State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas-SP, Brazil. Electronic address: elaine_wdb@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Elaine Aparecida Rocha
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.affiliation: Nursing Faculty of the State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas-SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marianna Carvalho E Souza Leão
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.affiliation: Nursing Faculty of the State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas-SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula Cristina Pereira da
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Nursing Faculty of the State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas-SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Helena Baena de Moraes
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Nursing Faculty of the State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas-SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Nursing Faculty of the State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas-SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Neusa Maria Costa
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Alexandre
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Leg ulcers; Nursing care; Pain; Wounds and lesions