Objective:

to assess the prophylactic management of breakthrough pain associated with skin ulcers care procedures, considering the different treatments used in clinical practice for the prevention and minimization of pain.

Material and methods:

A multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study. The study was conducted in 11 hospitals distributed throughout Spain. Ulcer features, patient demographics and clinical characteristics were recorded. Pain assessment, and patients' anxiety and satisfaction were measured using McGill Pain Questionnaire, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and visual analogue scales (VAS).

Result:

Low levels of anxiety were registered (74.2%, none or mild) and patient and healthcare professional satisfaction was high (8.3 and 7.7, respectively). Opioid drugs were administered to 73.8% of patients, who experienced significantly less pain than those who did not receive treatment or who received non-opioid drugs (p<0.0001). Type of management was related to patient age, ulcer characteristics, treatment for background pain, patient anxiety levels, perception of pain during the procedure, years of experience of the healthcare professional, the use of clinical guidelines, and the unit in which it was performed. Factors significantly related to the use of prophylaxis were treatment for background pain, more severe ulcers, and treatment by a professional with <20 years of experience who followed clinical guidelines. Significant factors related to the use of opioids were anxiety, the care unit, and the years of experience of the healthcare professional.

Conclusión:

Differences in patient management depended on numerous factors. Prophylaxis with opioids, mainly fentanyl, resulted in less pain for the patient.

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