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Journal of Pediatric Psychology 23(2) pp. 149-154, 1998
© 1998 Society of Pediatric Psychology

brief-report

Brief Report: Behavioral Correlates of Postoperative Pain in Toddlers and Preschoolers

Beth Christiano, PhD and Sally E. Tarbell, PhD

University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute

All correspondence should be sent to Beth Christiano, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, 3600 Forbes Avenue, Iroquois Building, Suite 405, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213. E-mail: bethc{at}pcicirs.pci.pitt.edu.

Objective: To investigate the association between preoperatlve parent and child behaviors and postoperative pain in toddlers and preschoolers.

Method: Participants were 74 pediatrlc patients (59 boys, 15 girls), scheduled for Inguinal hernia or hydrocele repair, and their parents. Children ranged in age from 12 to 64 months (M = 33.7 months, SD = 14.7 months). Child and parent behaviors were assessed 30 minutes prior to surgery using the Behavioral Observation Scale (BOS), a modified version of the Dyadic Prestressor Interaction Scale (Melamed & Bush, 1985). Postoperative pain was assessed using an observational measure, the Toddler-Preschooler Postoperative Pain Scale (TPPPS) (Tarbell, Cohen, & Marsh, 1992).

Results: Postoperative pain was negatively related to parents' provision of surgery–relevant information during the preoperative observation period.

Conclusions: Preoperative interventions for young children should include information about the surgery experience.

Key words: postoperative pain; presurgical preparation; toddlers; preschoolers.


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