Parent satisfaction with acute pediatric pain treatment at home. Clin J Pain 2013 Jan;29(1):64-9
Date
07/04/2012Pubmed ID
22751026Pubmed Central ID
PMC4439581DOI
10.1097/AJP.0b013e3182454a9eScopus ID
2-s2.0-84871620938 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 28 CitationsAbstract
OBJECTIVES: Outpatient pain management after acute injuries is an important part of emergency department (ED) care, but there is little evidence to support best practice. Satisfaction with care is one way to assess the effectiveness of current practice. This study describes the outpatient pain experience for children with an arm fracture and explores the variables associated with parents' dissatisfaction with pain treatment for 2 analgesics after ED care.
METHODS: As a part of a randomized clinical trial assessing pain treatment after an arm fracture, parents and their children completed daily diaries recording pain scores, function disruption (play, school, sleep, eating), and adverse effects for 3 days after discharge from the ED. Parents and children also completed the Total Quality Pain Management Instrument on the third day to assess pain experience. Parents' satisfaction was defined with an arm fracture lowest reported satisfaction during the study period.
RESULTS: A total of 244 children with complete diaries were analyzed. More than half of children reported pain at home that was present "all the time" or "quite a bit." Thirty-two percent of parents were not satisfied with home pain treatment for their child. Parents' dissatisfaction was strongly associated with inadequate pain relief. It was also independently associated with nausea, disruption in play and sleep, and increased doses of medication.
DISCUSSION: Children with arm fractures experience noteworthy pain in the outpatient setting. Parents' dissatisfaction with home pain management for children suggests that more research is needed to evaluate the factors that result in improvements in both parent and child satisfaction and the most effective way of producing those changes.
Author List
Gill M, Drendel AL, Weisman SJAuthors
Amy L. Drendel DO Interim Chief, Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinSteven J. Weisman MD Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentAmbulatory Care
Arm Injuries
Caregivers
Child
Child, Preschool
Comorbidity
Female
Fractures, Bone
Home Care Services
Humans
Male
Pain
Patient Satisfaction
Treatment Outcome
Wisconsin
