title: Parental opinions regarding the route of administration of analgesic medication in children.
abstract: Parents were asked about the acceptability of different routes of administration of analgesia for their children. Their opinions were also sought regarding the need for consent and of the sources and quality of information provided to them perioperatively. Questionnaires before and after surgery were administered to 150 consecutively recruited parents. The majority (58%) of parents considered the rectal route to be the most unpleasant way of giving medication, compared to 19% for intramuscular and 11% and 9% for intravenous and oral, respectively. Over 70% thought additional consent, either verbal or written, is not necessary for administering medication by any route. The best information was received verbally in the opinion of 90%. Contrary to expectations, the rectal route was the most unpopular of all in this study. Parents' limited knowledge and experience may be important determining factors. Despite their negative opinions, parents did not consider separate consent necessary for the rectal or any other route.
authors.affiliation: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, Great Ormond Street, London, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Seth
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Llewellyn
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000285:Administration, Rectal; D000367:Age Factors; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010290:Parents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020458:Third-Party Consent
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics