Use of Analgesics and Pain Scores After Pediatric Adenotonsillectomy

The purpose of the study is to quantify the use of pain medications given to children aged 3 - 12 years as well as their pain level through pain scores after they have undergone a tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy surgery at Doernbecher Children's Hospital (DCH). We would like to learn more about the pain medications given and the pain scores of children post-surgery for the first 5 days following discharge from the hospital.

You and your child will be enrolled into the study during your child's scheduled surgery at DCH. Your child's surgery, anesthesia plan, and recovery will not change because of your participation in this study. Following discharge from the hospital, the study team will give you two follow-up phone calls that will take approximately 15 minutes. During these phone calls, we will ask you about your child's pain, any nausea or vomiting that has occurred, your child's intake of liquid and food, your child's activity level, and the medications they have been given over the course of the 5 days post-operation. Along with talking over the phone, we will ask you to document this information. After the post-operation day 6 phone call, you and your child will not be asked any additional questions for research purposes and we will ask you to return any documents you were given by the study team. Within 30 days of your and your child's participation in the study, the research team will pull medical information from your child's electronic medical record. Your child's electronic medical record will be reviewed to obtain demographic information such as date of birth, age, weight, ethnicity, medical history, and status information will also be collected such as allergies, potential complications, any pain scores collected during your child's post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay, and medical visits. 30 days after your child's surgery, you and your child will no longer be enrolled in this research study.