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The effectiveness of parent participation in postoperative pain management programs for children undergoing
Jin-Xia Yang1, Jian-Min Zhang2, Yue Liu3
1Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Department of Nursing, Suzhou, China; School of Medicine, Tongji University, Basic Medical Science, Shanghai, China.
Insights
Parental involvement in pain management programs significantly reduces post-tonsillectomy pain in children. This approach enhances pain relief and improves the quality of life for pediatric patients after surgery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pain Management
- Quality Improvement
Background:
- Tonsillectomy is a common pediatric surgical procedure.
- Postoperative pain is a significant complication following tonsillectomy.
- Effective pain management is crucial for pediatric patients' recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of parental participation in postoperative pain management programs.
- To assess the effect on children's post-tonsillectomy pain scores.
- To investigate other relevant outcome measures in pediatric tonsillectomy patients.
Main Methods:
- A between-group experimental controlled study was conducted.
- The intervention group received a parental involvement program; the control group received routine care.
- Data on postoperative pain were collected from 118 control and 117 intervention pediatric patients.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed significantly lower pain scores at multiple time points post-surgery compared to the control group.
- Significant pain score reductions were observed upon ward return, 2, 4, 24 hours post-op, at discharge, and during follow-up visits.
- No significant differences were found in pain scores during the early morning hours or in effective sleep time.
Conclusions:
- Parental participation programs effectively enhance parental involvement in pediatric postoperative pain management.
- These programs significantly alleviate pain in children undergoing tonsillectomy.
- Improved pain management contributes to a better quality of life for pediatric patients post-tonsillectomy.
Purpose:
Tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures, with 289,000 ambulatory procedures performed annually in children <15 years of age, and pain is a major cause of post-tonsillectomy complications. We sought to evaluate the effect of parent participation in postoperative pain management programs on children's post-tonsillectomy pain score and other outcome measures.
Methods:
Parent participation in postoperative pain management programs was based on the quality improvement model developed by the Evidence-Based Nursing Center of Fudan University and validated among child urological patients. This between-group experimental controlled study was conducted in the inpatient ENT ward of a tertiary children's hospital. The control group comprised 118 children randomly selected from April 1 to May 15, 2022, and the experimental group included 117 children randomly selected from June 1 to July 15, 2022. To evaluate the effectiveness of the model, the control group received routine postoperative pain management, and the intervention group received the program of parental involvement in postoperative pain management. Postoperative pain-related data were collected for the two groups of children.
Results:
There was no significant difference in the demographic characteristics of the two groups of children (P > 0.05). The pain score of the children in the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group when returning to the ward on the day of surgery (Z = 3.185, P = 0.002), after 2 h (Z = 7.280, P<0.001), after 4 h (Z = 6.4000, P<0.001), after 24 h (Z = 2.698, P = 0.009), at discharge (Z = 3.397, P = 0.002), and at the postoperative hospital visit (Z = 3.349, P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in the pain score at 02:00 in the morning after the operation or effective sleep time after the operation between the two groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusions:
and Clinical Implications: Programs of parental participation in postoperative pain management applied to children undergoing tonsillectomy can improve the participation of parents in postoperative pain management of children, relieve postoperative pain in children undergoing tonsillectomy, and improve children's postoperative quality of life.
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Etiology
It often arises from persistent viral or bacterial infections affecting sinuses and tonsils.
Additional contributing factors include inadequate dental hygiene, mouth breathing, recurring tonsillitis, allergic rhinitis, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and exposure to smoke, chemicals, and other environmental pollutants. Allergic reactions to pollen, mold, and pet dander, chronic cough, excessive voice usage,...