title: The use of ice-lollies for pain relief post-paediatric tonsillectomy. A single-blinded, randomised, controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether the use of ice-lollies after tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy in children aged 2-12 reduces pain in the immediate postoperative period.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, randomised, single-blinded study design consisting of two groups with an intention to treat analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children aged 2-12 undergoing tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pain assessment by nursing staff in the form of the validated modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale at 15, 30 and 60 min and 4 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-two patients were recruited into the study with 46 allocated to receive an ice-lolly and 41 not to receive an ice-lolly after exclusion of those with incomplete data. The two groups were comparable for number, age, sex and diagnosis. The pain score at every time interval was lower in the group that had received the ice-lolly compared with the group that had not. This was statistically significant at 30 (P = 0.008) and 60 min (P = 0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that ice-lollies are a cheap, effective and safe method of reducing postoperative pain up to one hour following paediatric tonsillectomy.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, York District Hospital, York, UK.
authors: D C
authors: DC
authors: Sylvester
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Rafferty
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Bew
authors: L C
authors: LC
authors: Knight
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007053:Ice; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007053:Ice