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This study compared post-tonsillectomy pain scores and recovery using the coblation-only technique, comparing extracapsular versus intracapsular approaches.
Methods
A prospective study was performed in our paediatric ENT department. Pain scores were recorded on days 0, 2, 4 and 8, using a visual analogue scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (extreme pain). Information was also collected on: return to normal fluid and solid intake, and any post-operative visits to primary care.
Results
In total, 101 patients were included in the analysis. Average pain scores were statistically lower on days 2, 4 and 8 in the intracapsular group compared to the extracapsular cohort. The intracapsular cohort also returned sooner to normal fluid and solids intake. The extracapsular group were more likely to visit the general practitioner post-operatively.
Conclusion
Intracapsular tonsillectomy appears to result in reduced morbidity overall and should be considered as a viable alternative in relevant cases.
Pain assessment plays an integral role in the ongoing efforts to improve overall pain management in the acute care setting. This chapter overviews the pain assessment process and outlines some pain rating tools that have been useful in the acute care setting. Some form of explicit pain assessment is necessary, since studies in myriad patient populations have failed to identify consistently reliable surrogate markers for pain. Despite pitfalls in self-reported pain scores, it is important for the objective pain rating to come from the patient. In clinical practice, the most commonly used rating scale is the verbal numeric rating scale. The advantages of the verbal numeric rating scale include ease of administration and high agreement with the visual analog scales used in most clinical pain management studies in acute care. In older adults who are cognitively intact, numerical rating scales or simple verbal reports of pain categories are preferred.
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