Implications of dressing-related trauma and pain in patients with diabetes

It is a misconception that patients with diabetes do not feel pain. Clinical investigations have shown that a high proportion of patients with diabetes do have pain related to their wound or to a procedure. As a result of this misconception, patients with, or at risk of diabetic foot ulcers, may be treated inappropriately. This article focuses on the issue of preventing dressing-related trauma and pain in patients with diabetes and emphasises why it is a significant aspect of care that demands careful attention by clinicians.