Author:
Laura De Maria, BSN,
RN
127 West 5th Street
Bayonne, NJ 07002
Phone 201-339-8234; Fax
201-436-6992
Pain assessment in children is a complex process which requires objectivity, creativity and excellent clinical skills. It is a challenge to all health professionals due to children's lack of skills in identifying and describing pain and requesting analgesia.
The purpose of this study was to determine if children who undergo ear, nose and throat procedures experience different levels of pain than children who undergo hernia repair. The specific aims were to:
1. Determine the different levels of pain according to type of same day surgical procedure.
2. Educate parents on the assessment of their child's level of pain in a home care setting.
The 'gate control theory of pain' proposed by Melzack and Wall in 1965 was incorporated as the conceptual framework in this project. The methodology for the project utilized a descriptive survey design. A convenience sample of sixty five volunteers was attained over a three month period. Children ages three to ten who had sustained either ear, nose and throat surgery or hernia repair were selected as subjects for the project. An informed consent and assent form was distributed and permission was obtained prior to the child's surgery.
Within this project, Wong and Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale was utilized to measure the child's level of pain This scale has established validity and reliability. Parents were instructed to assess their child's level of pain using this scale in the morning and evening on the first postoperative day. Data for the project were analyzed using chi square test of independence. Results were tested at the 0.05 level of significance.
Results of the project to date seem to indicate that from the morning assessment, children who undergo ear, nose and throat procedures do experience different levels of pain than children who undergo hernia repair. From the evening assessment, there was no differentiation in the child's level of pain with the comparison of the two groups.
Parents seem to be a valuable resource in assessing their child's level of pain, when support and education were provided by a nurse researcher.
March 15, 2002
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