The Effect of Distraction Techniques on Pain Intensity and Acetaminophen Received after Tonsillectomy in Children Aged 5-12 Years Old

Tonsillectomy is a common painful surgery in children. One of the methods of pain relief is the use of non-pharmacological treatments.     

This study was performed with aim to determine the effect of distraction Techniques on pain intensity and acetaminophen received after tonsillectomy in children aged 5-12 years old.

This experimental study was conducted on 75 children aged 5-12 years old from September 2020 to March 2021. The subjects by random allocation method were divided into two intervention groups (1: watching cartoons, 2: listening to music) and one control group. Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale and the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NRS) were used to report pain intensity. Data were analysed by SPSS software (version 25) and inferential statistical tests, such as Wilcoxon, kruskal-wallis, chi-square, and Mann-Whitney U. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

In the intervention group 1, significant difference was found between before and after the intervention in terms of pain intensity (p <0.001). After the intervention, there was a significant difference in the pain intensity and acetaminophen received between the intervention group1 and 2 and between the intervention group 1 and the control group (p <0.001).

Implications for Practice:

 Distraction techniques by watching cartoons reduce postoperative pain and acetaminophen received. Therefore, it is recommended that these techniques be used by patients or their caregivers to reduce pain after tonsillectomy.