Pain Control - Hospital Treatment

Superficial and partial thickness burns are extremely painful. Initially, deep dermal burns are less painful, while full thickness burns with destroyed nerve endings are pain free. Administer Morphine - the preferred analgesic - intravenously or orally. “Do not use the intramuscular or subcutaneous route. Changes in fluid volume and circulation make absorption of any drug given intramuscularly or subcutaneous irregular" ABLS Provider's Manual 1990, p12).

Administer intravenous Morphine by continuous infusion or by direct IV bolus. Before treatments begin, administer Morphine IV bolus. Give oral analgesics 30 minutes prior to treatments and on a PRN timed schedule. The patient may require anxiolytic medication (Ativan IV/P0/SL or Nozinan IV/PO are suggested); however, if pain is adequately controlled, anxiety levels usually decrease.

Usually successfully grafted areas are pain free. Donor sites are the focal point of the patient's discomfort following surgery. Expect partial thickness burns to heal within 2-3 weeks with analgesic requirements lessening as healing occurs. Consider Tylenol #3 or Tylenol plain for minor discomfort at this stage of recovery. When all wounds are healed, no further analgesics are required.

Note: As healing occurs itching may cause patient discomfort. Antipuritic medications may be indicated (i.e. Panectyl and Atarax).

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