Pain at home: children's experience of tonsillectomy.
Earlier discharge following tonsillectomy increases the need for good pain management advice and effective analgesia. An audit determined the nature of children's pain experiences at home following tonsillectomy and identified pain management strategies used. Combined analgesia and formal pain assessment significantly reduced the number of children in moderate or severe pain on discharge. Pain could worsen following discharge, persist for three to ten days and be at times moderate to severe. 50% of parents contacted their GP and 75% of children required paracetamol and ibuprofen concurrently. Audit data was utilised to develop comprehensive written pain management advice and a discharge protocol for combined analgesia.
Swallow
J
J
The General Infirmary at Leeds.
Briggs
M
M
Semple
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000359:Aftercare / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009731:Nursing Audit; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000592:standards; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017749:Total Quality Management