Prevalence and Factors Affecting Postsurgical Pain in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients

Mehdi Sarafi; Behzad Azimi; Aminollah Vasigh; Gholamreza Ebrahimisaraj

doi:10.18502/aacc.v12i1.20541

Mehdi Sarafi School of Medicine, Mofid Children's Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Behzad Azimi Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Imam Hossein Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Aminollah Vasigh Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
Gholamreza Ebrahimisaraj School of Medicine, Mofid Children's Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/aacc.v12i1.20541

Keywords: Postsurgical pain; Pediatric; Adolescent

Abstract

Background: Post-surgical pain (PSP) can persist from the immediate post-operative period up to 6 months following surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of PSP and identify factors influencing its intensity in pediatric and adolescent patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 120 patients aged 3-17 years who had undergone surgery in hospitals. The data for this study were collected by reviewing patients’ clinical records and observing patient behavior. The FLACC scale was used to assess pain in children, and the APPT scale was used to assess pain in adolescents. Demographic data extracted from patients’ clinical records, along with pain data from the FLACC and APPT scales, were entered into SPSS 20 software, and data analysis was performed.

Results: The study included 120 patients with a mean (SD) age of 11.21 (4.03) years, of whom 64 (53.3%) were female. Regarding pain severity in the pediatric group, 2 (3.3%) reported no pain, 14 (23.3%) reported mild pain, 30 (50%) reported moderate pain, and 14 (23.3%) reported severe pain. In the adolescent group, 2 (3.3%) reported no pain, 7 (11.7%) reported little pain, 12 (20%) reported medium pain, 15 (25%) reported large pain, and 24 (40%) reported the worst possible pain. There was no statistically significant relationship between pain status, type of surgery, and gender in either the pediatric or adolescent group (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: Given the high reported rates of post-surgical pain in pediatric and adolescent patients, targeted interventions are recommended to mitigate pain severity and improve patient outcomes.