Wound Care Certified Certification (WCC) Practice Exam

Pain associated with dressing changes is classified as what type of pain?

1. Chronic pain

2. Episodic pain

3. Acute pain

4. Neuropathic pain

The correct answer is: Episodic pain

Pain associated with dressing changes is best classified as episodic pain. This type of pain is characterized by being transient and occurring intermittently, often in response to specific activities or triggers, such as the process of changing a wound dressing. During dressing changes, patients may experience a relatively short duration of pain, which typically occurs with the specific activity and subsides afterward. This fits the definition of episodic pain, as it arises in discrete episodes rather than being constant or ongoing. Chronic pain, in contrast, is ongoing and persists over a longer duration, often for months or years, and is not specifically tied to a singular event like dressing changes. Acute pain is generally associated with a specific injury or condition and usually resolves quickly as the healing process occurs, making it distinct from the intermittent nature of episodic pain. Neuropathic pain results from nerve damage or dysfunction and has different characteristics, such as burning or tingling sensations, which do not typically describe the pain associated with dressing changes.