Complementary medicine for post-tonsillectomy pain management in children: a network meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Complementary Medicine
• Pediatric Surgery

Background:

• Postoperative pain following tonsillectomy is a significant clinical challenge.
• Current pain management strategies often yield suboptimal outcomes.
• There is a need to evaluate complementary interventions for pediatric tonsillectomy pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare and rank complementary interventions for alleviating pain after tonsillectomy in children.
• To identify the most effective complementary therapies for post-tonsillectomy pain.
• To inform clinical practice regarding non-pharmacological pain management options.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted.
• Searches were performed across multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, etc.).
• Intervention effectiveness was assessed using a random-effects model and ranked with Surface Under the Cumulative Ranking (SUCRA).

Main Results:

• Nineteen RCTs were included, demonstrating that complementary medicine significantly reduces post-tonsillectomy pain (SMD: -0.97).
• Imagery and acupuncture were the most effective interventions, showing high SUCRA values (0.9).
• Restriction interventions were found to be the least effective (SUCRA: 0.1).

Conclusions:

• Integrating effective complementary interventions can enhance pain management post-tonsillectomy.
• Imagery and acupuncture show promise as effective adjuncts to routine care.
• High-quality research is necessary to further validate and compare these complementary approaches.