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Children's Pain at Home After Laparoscopic Appendectomy
Renee C B Manworren1, Jessica Cooper2, Trishla Mishra3
1Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago 60611, Illinois; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago 60611, Illinois.
Insights
Children often experience severe pain at home for up to two weeks after laparoscopic appendectomy. This study highlights the need for effective pain management strategies post-discharge for adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pain Management
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Hospitalized children frequently experience significant pain post-laparoscopic appendectomy.
- Limited data exists on pediatric pain experiences after hospital discharge.
- Accurate pain assessment is crucial for effective post-operative pain management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the pain experienced by children at home following laparoscopic appendectomy.
- To describe the trajectory of pain over the first 14 days post-discharge.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, exploratory study involving 100 pediatric patients (aged 10-17) undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy.
- Participants completed 14-day pain diaries at home.
- Visual analytic techniques were employed to analyze pain patterns.
Main Results:
- Over 50% of patients reported severe pain on the first day home.
- Significant percentages reported pain on day 7 (40%) and day 14 (16%).
- Pain intensity and frequency generally decreased over time, with limited improvement shortly after pain treatment.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents commonly experience severe post-laparoscopic appendectomy pain at home, persisting for up to 14 days.
- Visual analytics offer a dynamic representation of pain experiences compared to traditional measures.
Background:
Hospitalized children experience moderate-to-severe pain after laparoscopic appendectomy, but knowledge of children's pain experiences after discharge home is limited. Accurate pain assessments are needed to guide appropriate pain treatment.
Aims:
To describe children's pain at home after laparoscopic appendectomy.
Design:
Prospective exploratory and descriptive METHODS: A convenience sample of 100 patients, aged 10-17 years, who spoke or wrote in English or Spanish, volunteered to complete 14-day pain diaries at home after laparoscopic appendectomy. Visual analytic techniques were used to analyze patterns of pain experiences.
Results:
Diaries were returned by 45 patients/parents, the majority of whom were White (64%), male (56%), adolescents (mean age 14 years) with no previous surgical history (70%), and whose appendix was inflamed (87%) but not perforated. More than 50% reported severe pain (4 or 5 on a 0-5 scale) on the first full day home after laparoscopic appendectomy. On day 7, 40% reported pain and on day 14, 16% were still reporting pain. Only rarely were pain scores not clinically significantly lower 1 hour after pain treatment, regardless of treatment type (e.g., nondrug, nonopioid, opioid). Reported pain intensity steadily decreased over time as did frequency of recorded pain scores.
Conclusion:
Adolescents experience severe pain at home after laparoscopic appendectomy and some experience pain for 7 to 14 days after hospital discharge. Visual analytics better represent the dynamics of pain experiences than measures of central tendency.
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