Page 99 - Psychology of Wounds and Wound Care in Clinical Practice ( PDFDrive )

Relationship Between Stress, Pain and Wound Healing 73

Table 3.4 (continued)
Measure Purpose Strengths Weaknesses
Heart Rate Elevated Heart rate can Measures of
heart rate is a be monitored increased heart
physiological at intervals rate alone
symptom before, during do not solely
associated and after determine levels
with the activity, such of psychological
body’s stress as dressing stress as this may
response. change. be due to other
factors.
GSR A method of GSR can be Measures
(Galvanic measuring measured of increased
Skin the electrical at intervals GSR alone
Response) resistance before, during do not solely
of the skin. and after determine levels
Increased activity, such of psychological
GSR is a as dressing stress as this may
physiological change. be due to other
symptom factors.
associated
with the
body’s stress
response.

Relationship Between Stress, Pain and Wound
Healing

A number of studies have reported on the link between stress
and wound healing in both clinical and non-clinical popula-
tions and in both acute and chronic wounds. For example,
when 11 dental students received biopsy wounds on the pal-
ate of their mouth (the first being administered during their
summer vacation and the second, before term examinations),
photographs and foaming response to hydrogen peroxide
were used to examine wound healing (Marucha et al. 1998 ).
It was discovered that wounds administered during the
stressful period (i.e. the students’ examinations) took