Targeting pain points in bedside wound debridements using perineural catheter
Care Process & Redesign
National Healthcare Innovation and Productivity Medals
National Healthcare Group
8 December 2025
To achieve better analgesic control during bedside wound debridement in patients with diabetic foot ulcers and to reduce the. Clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction improved with better analgesic control, allowing for bedside wound debridements and better.
Year Submitted: 2025
Published Date: 08 December 2025
Tags: Care Process ＆ Redesign, Workflow Redesign, Clinical Practice Improvement, Productivity, Cost Saving, Time Saving
About this Content
Aims
To achieve better analgesic control during bedside wound debridement in patients with diabetic foot ulcers and to reduce the need for wound debridement to be performed in the operating theatre under general anaesthesia due to poorly controlled pain.
Background
Diabetes Mellitus is a growing health concern with significant impact on financial cost, morbidity and mortality. Diabetic patients undergoing amputations had 6.8 times higher hospital costs as well as complications such as recurrent foot infections needing multiple surgical debridements. Poor pain control during bedside debridements may result in ineffective debridement.
Methods
A multidisciplinary team was set up to better manage diabetic foot patients using perineural catheters, which have shown to reduce postoperative pain scores and opioid requirements.
Results
Perineural catheters result in better analgesic control, allowing for bedside wound debridements with associated time/cost savings as well as manpower utilisation.
Conclusion
Clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction improved with better analgesic control, allowing for bedside wound debridements and better allocation of operating theatre time. This project shows significant cost and time savings, as well as improved quality and patient safety.
Lessons Learnt
The collaborative project between the vascular, anaesthesia and podiatry departments demonstrates the effectiveness of perineural catheters in managing pain during bedside wound debridements.
Keywords
Pain, Wound Debridement, Diabetes, Analgesic
Innovators' Details
Innovators' Details
Healthcare Cluster(s) | National Healthcare Group |
Organization(s) Involved | Khoo Teck Puat Hospital |
Platform(s) | National Healthcare Innovation and Productivity Medals |
Healthcare Professional Group(s) | Medical, Nursing |
Applicable Specialty or Discipline | Podiatry, Medical, Anaesthesiology, Surgery, Nursing |
Project Lead(s) | Felicia Tan Su-Yen |
Project Member(s) | Bin Wern Hsien |
Connect with this contributor!
Felicia Tan Su-Yen - tan.su.yen.f@ktph.com.sg
Project Attachment
839_KTPH_NHIP_2025_Targeting_pain_points_in_bedside_wound_debridements_using_perineural_catheter.pdf