Improved pain management after tonsil surgery in adults: a quality improvement programme

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Quality Improvement
• Pain Management

Background:

• High variability in postoperative pain recontact rates after tonsil surgery was observed (2018-2020) in Norwegian ear, nose, and throat (ENT) units.
• Average recontact rates due to pain reached 27%, with a wide range of 12-39%.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a standardized pain management program for adult tonsil surgery patients.
• The primary goal was to reduce the pain-related recontact rate to below 15%.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project involving five ENT units with an average recontact rate of 33.6%.
• Development and implementation of a standardized program including a patient information brochure and a multimodal analgesic prescription (paracetamol, etoricoxib, tramadol).
• Data collection and analysis of recontact rates before and after program implementation (June 2022 - July 2024).

Main Results:

• The standardized pain management program was successfully introduced in five ENT units.
• Post-implementation, the recontact rate decreased significantly from 33.6% to 15.5% in 2024.
• The project achieved its goal of reducing recontact rates below 15%.

Conclusions:

• A standardized pain management program, including patient education and multimodal analgesia, effectively improves postoperative pain control after tonsil surgery.
• The Norwegian Tonsil Surgery Register (NTSR) is a valuable tool for identifying areas for clinical improvement and evaluating quality initiatives.