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Updated: Mar 17, 2026
An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain PPOP
Published on: January 27, 2010
Postoperative paediatric pain prevalence: A retrospective analysis in a university teaching hospital
Alexander Avian1, Brigitte Messerer2, Gerit Wünsch1
1Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 2, 8036 Graz, Austria.
Insights
Postoperative pain in children is common, with 36% experiencing significant pain. Surgery type impacts pain intensity in older children, while younger children’s pain increases with age.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pain Management
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Postoperative pain prevalence in children is well-documented.
- Limited research exists on pain intensity during the first week after surgery.
- This study addresses the gap in understanding pediatric postoperative pain trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate pain prevalence on the day of surgery and the following week.
- To analyze pain trajectories in pediatric patients.
- To identify factors influencing postoperative pain intensity.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 815 children and adolescents (age ≤18 years).
- Analysis of pain prevalence (pain score ≥4/10) during the first week post-surgery.
- Mixed model techniques used to analyze influencing factors like age, sex, and surgery type.
Main Results:
- 36% of patients experienced pain ≥4 during their hospital stay.
- Pain prevalence was slightly higher on day 1 post-surgery compared to the day of surgery (25% vs. 21%).
- Surgery type significantly influenced pain intensity in self-reported ratings (age ≥4); age influenced observational ratings (age <4).
Conclusions:
- Surgery type is a key predictor of self-reported pain intensity in children.
- For younger children (age <4), observational pain assessment indicates increasing pain with age.
- Pain management strategies should consider age and surgery type for effective pediatric postoperative care.
Background:
Overall pain prevalence in paediatric patients is well documented, but relatively little attention has been paid to pain prevalence and intensity on specific postoperative days within the first week following an operation.
Objectives:
To evaluate reported pain prevalence on the day of surgery and each day during the following week and to analyse pain trajectories.
Design:
Retrospective study.
Setting:
Single centre university hospital.
Participants:
815 postoperative children and adolescents (age≤18 years) were included (female: 36%, age 9.8±5.8). Children with ear, nose, throat (e.g. tonsillectomy), eye (e.g. strabismus repair) or dental surgery (e.g. dental extraction) were treated at other departments and therefore were not included in this study.
Methods:
Retrospective analysis of the overall and clinically relevant (pain score ≥4/10) postoperative pain prevalence in children and adolescents during the first week after surgery. Possible influencing factors (age, sex, body mass index, type of anaesthesia, type of surgery and duration of surgery) on pain trajectories are analysed using mixed model techniques.
Results:
Overall, 36% of 815 analysed children and adolescents suffered from pain ≥4 during their entire hospital stay. Compared to the day of surgery, the number of patients with pain ≥4 was slightly higher on day 1 after surgery (21% vs. 25%, respectively). In self-reported pain intensity rating (done for patients age≥4 years) the type of surgery (p<.001) was the only significant variable influencing pain intensity. In observational pain assessment (age<4 years) pain scores increased with patient's age (p=.004). In this patient group, pain intensity ratings did not differ between types of surgery (p=.278).
Conclusion:
Type of surgery is an important predictor for self-reported pain intensity ratings in children but not for observational pain assessment in younger children. In younger children observational pain assessment ratings increase with age.
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