The aim of the investigation was to evaluate the prevalence, severity, and parents' management of children's
pain following short-stay and
day surgery. The subjects were 189 parents of children (2-12 years of age) who had undergone short-stay or
day surgery. Parents completed a 3-day diary of their child's
pain and the methods used to alleviate it. There were clear differences in
pain reported according to type of surgery. Some surgery, such as insertion of myringotomy tubes, appeared to cause little
pain. Other procedures, including
tonsillectomy, circumcision, and
strabismus repair, resulted in about one-half the children experiencing clinically significant
pain (> or = 30 mm on a 100 mm VAS). Sixty-eight percent of the parents reported they had been instructed to use
acetaminophen for
pain 'if necessary', 13% had been told to use
acetaminophen regularly, and 8% recalled no instructions. Of the parents who rated their child's
pain as significant, 13% administered no
pain medication and 47% gave 1-3 doses on day 2. On day 3, 17% gave no medication and 45% gave 1-3 doses. Some types of '
minor' surgery result in significant
pain postoperatively. Even when parents recognise that their children are in
pain, most give inadequate doses of medication to control the
pain.