Pharmacological management of acute pain post-tonsillectomy in the otorhinolaryngology department at Muhimbili National Hospital

Abstract

<ns3:p>Background Tonsillectomy is among the standard procedures performed on the head and neck. Acute pain following tonsillectomy impairs recovery and contributes to physical discomfort. Adequate pharmacological management of post-operative pain increases the satisfaction and well-being of a patient. The aim of this study was to determine the pharmacological management of acute pain post-tonsillectomy in the otorhinolaryngology department at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) Methods A hospital-based prospective cohort study was carried out among 72 patients. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from selected patients who underwent cold tonsillectomy. Postoperative pain assessment was conducted at six, 12, and 18 hours from initiation of pharmacological management following tonsillectomy. An interviewer-administered numerical rating scale was used for assessing postoperative pain scores. Results A total of 72 patients were enrolled, of which most were female (73.6%). The majority of patients were in the age group of 8–15 years (50%). Paracetamol was the commonest analgesia prescribed (37.5%) post-tonsillectomy. The majority of patients experienced moderate pain at six- and 12-hours following tonsillectomy, 55.6% and 65.3%, respectively, whereas 88.9% of patients had mild pain at 18 hours after initial analgesic administration. Pain relief was attained by all patients aged 16–23 years (96.6%), all being female patients, and these differences were statistically insignificant. Paracetamol achieved pain reduction from moderate pain (59.3%) and severe pain (37.0%) at six hours to mild pain at 18 hours (88.9%). Conclusions Paracetamol was the commonly prescribed analgesic following tonsillectomy with majority of patients attaining moderate pain; however, there was no significant difference between the use of combined drugs and single drug use. This could be influenced by the sample size of the studied population and individual variations in pain perception.</ns3:p>