Home next day: early discharge of children following appendicectomy.
Fifty-six children in two groups were discharged within 24 hours of an uncomplicated appendicectomy. While the children in the first group (N = 21) were visited by a nurse at home within 24 hours of discharge, the second group (N = 35) just received telephone calls. The cohort was evaluated by telephone interviews two weeks after discharge. All children fulfilling the discharge standards were discharged safely within 24 hours of surgery. Any physical complaints post-discharge were considered minor. The nurses were able to provide reassurance to the families, give advice and deal with minor problems. As a result the families felt safe and reassured, and in only one case did the fragility of parental confidence become obvious. This study has demonstrated the safety of discharging these children within 24 hours of surgery and the value to nursing contacts in enabling the families to care for their children at home.
Pfeil
Michael
M
Nursing and Midwifery Research Unit, Faculty of Health, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. m.pfeil@uea.ac.uk
Mathur
Azad
A
Singh
Shalini
S
Morris
Chris
C
Green
Gill
G
Kulkarni
Milind
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000359:Aftercare / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004739:England; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012449:Safety; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone; D013997:Time Factors