Pediatric pain after ambulatory surgery: where's the medication?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this controlled study was to provide a description of children's postoperative pain, including pain intensity and analgesic consumption.


METHODS
Participants included 261 children, 2 to 12 years of age, undergoing routine tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy surgery. Baseline and demographic data were collected before surgery, and a standardized approach to anesthesia and surgical procedures was used. Pain and analgesic consumption were recorded for 2 weeks at home.


RESULTS
On the first day at home, although parents rated 86% of children as experiencing significant overall pain, 24% of children received 0 or just 1 medication dose throughout the entire day. On day 3 after surgery, although 67% of children were rated by parents as experiencing significant overall pain, 41% received 0 or 1 medication dose throughout the entire day.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that a large proportion of children receive little analgesic medication after surgery and research efforts should be directed to the discrepancy between high ratings of postoperative pain provided by parents and the low dosing of analgesics they use for their children.
Fortier
Michelle A
MA
Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, University of California, Irvine, California, USA. mfortier@choc.org
MacLaren
Jill E
JE
Martin
Sarah R
SR
Perret-Karimi
Danielle
D
Kain
Zeev N
ZN
D000233:Adenoidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D000367:Age Factors; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000698:Analgesia / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000700:Analgesics; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid