Hypnosis in the ward: Low-Cost Treatment for Burn Victims

Maryse Davadant, a nurse in the intensive care unit and a pioneer in the use of hypnosis at CHUV

The use of hypnosis in medical treatment is increasing: In the large burns unit of CHUV in Lausanne, it is used on a daily basis. A study has shown that hypnosis reduces the time patients spend in intensive care and saves 19,000 Swiss Francs (CHF) per patient.
The hospital now wants to extend this into other departments. “If hypnosis were a medication it would already be in all hospitals, but it is an approach, and thus it must overcome cultural barriers,” says Pierre-Yves Rodondi, a doctor at the University Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at CHUV.

At CHUV, pragmatism has won over fear: “There are scientific studies, unfortunately ignored by a large part of the medical community, that demonstrate the effectiveness of hypnosis in pain management: it is a tool that should be integrated into treatment.

It even works with those who are sceptical,” explains Rodondi. In fact, according to a scientific study carried out at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and published in the journal, ‘Burns,’ hypnosis helps patients with severe burns to recover faster and cuts the cost of therapy: it reduces anxiety, the use of drugs, the overall need for anaesthetics and, on average, reduces the time spent by patients in intensive care by five days. Saving 19,000 CHF on average, it would be sufficient to treat just nine burn victims per year by hypnosis to cover the cost of a specialist in the field.

In fact, wounds heal faster: “It could be related to a lower level of stress, but this is just our hypothesis,” explains Maryse Davadant, a nurse in the intensive care unit and a pioneer in the use of hypnosis at CHUV: “On average, we start the first session a few days after the patient is admitted, when he or she is no longer intubated and unable to concentrate. Then we teach them to do self-hypnosis: this is a tool that the patient will always have, and the analgesic effect lasts even after therapy. We have two nurses in the ICU who only do hypnosis,” explains Davadant. We ask what the patients’ reactions are:

“We offer it to everyone, some are aware of it and are interested, whereas others are more sceptical, but almost everyone tries it and is satisfied.” However, not all burns patients can be treated with hypnosis, especially elderly patients or those in a state of confusion.

La Regione Ticino, Switzerland