Uptime as a measure of recovery in children postappendectomy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to objectively measure recovery time after open and laparoscopic appendectomy using an activity monitor (PAL 1).


METHODS
The PAL 1 records the amount of time that the subject is upright (uptime). Children wore the PAL 1 for 10 days continuously, beginning within the first 48 hours postoperatively.


RESULTS
Uptime data were collected for 5 or more days for 42 children (open, n = 16; laparoscopic, n = 26). All children had low levels of uptime in the initial postoperative period. There was weak evidence of a quicker recovery rate for children in the laparoscopic group (P =.09). The difference in mean uptime between groups was of statistical significance by day 7 postoperatively with children in the laparoscopic group having a higher mean uptime than those in the open group (difference of 0.7 hours; 95% confidence intervals 0.0 to 1.4 hours in a 24-hour period).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study show that recovery postappendectomy can be quantified by the measurement of uptime and that children undergoing a laparoscopic procedure may recover marginally more quickly than those undergoing an open procedure.
Eldridge
B
B
Physiotherapy Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Kimber
C
C
Wolfe
R
R
Galea
M
M
Hutson
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation; D009043:Motor Activity; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function