[Predictive Factors for Pain in Technical Dermatological Procedures]

Background: Technical procedures in dermatology are painful.

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine predictive factors for pain in such procedures.

Patients And Methods: This observational study evaluated pain by means of a numerical pain rating scale and a questionnaire about the circumstances of the pain and the use of analgesic methods. Data were analysed using Excel and SAS software.

Results: Five hundred and forty-six questionnaires were analysed. Among the patients, 45.4% had mild pain, 34.5% moderate pain and 20.1% severe pain. The least painful procedures were cryotherapy, surgical excision and biopsy, debridement and curettage. Procedures causing moderate to severe pain were treatments involving laser and lights as well as injections (hyaluronic acid, intralesional corticosteroids, botulinum toxin). Pain scores were higher for procedures involving fingers, toes and armpits, while the least painful areas were the trunk and limbs. Among the patients, 62.5% had no preventive analgesia before the procedure, 37.5% had preventive analgesia and 34.2% underwent local or topical anaesthesia (3.7% by cold, 2.0% by oral premedication, 0.5% by hypnosis and 0.4% by nitrous oxide).

Conclusion: Awareness of predictive factors for pain could allow better use of analgesic methods to offer the patient relief and improve the quality of the procedure.