Page 140 - Psychology of Wounds and Wound Care in Clinical Practice ( PDFDrive )

Burns 115

Not only can they differ in relation to their physiology and
their clinical care, but they can also have substantial differ-
ences in the psychological impact on patients. Hence, it is
not only important for health professionals to acknowledge
and understand such difference, it is also important that they
incorporate such knowledge within their daily wound-care
regimes (see Box 5.1). This will be the focus of this particular
chapter- exploring the psychological concomitants of a vari-
ety of different wound types and the impact that this has on
individual care.

Burns

Trauma wounds are often accompanied by serious psycholog-
ical implications, severely disrupting normal daily activities
(Coker et al. 2008 ). One of the most severe traumas a person
can endure is that of a burn injury (Klinge et al. 2009 ; Hodder
et al. 2014 ). Sustaining a burn injury can cause both significant
psychological distress and physical pain. For example, fire-
related trauma wounds can result in a number of negative
medical consequences, including hypovolemic shock, sepsis,
multi-organ failure and, subsequently, mortality (Young
2002 ; Herndon 2007 ). Psychosocial difficulties associated
with a burn injury can include: financial strain, relationship
difficulties, loss of physical functions, emotional dysfunction,
disfigurement and body image concerns (Hodder et al. 2014 ;
;
Esselman et al. 2006 Partridge and Robinson 1995 ).
Mortality rate associated with major burns has decreased
dramatically over the last 50 years. This can be attributed to a
number of factors, whether it being the advanced knowledge
surrounding the pathophysiology of burn injury (Young 2002 ;
Herndon 2007 ), or the establishment of a number of special-
ised burn units (Diver 2008 ) and advancements in wound
care (White and Renz 2008 ). As a result, multi-disciplinary
teams have been developed which focus not only on the
surgical, medical and reconstructive stages of burns treat-
ment, but also on the psychological and psychosocial well-
being of burn patients (Young 2002 ; Herndon 2007 ). Hence,