Abstract

This study investigated the effects of providing participant information on self-report, behavioral and physiological responses of children undergoing elective surgery for tonsillectomy. Thirty children between the ages of 3 and 6, scheduled for elective surgery, received cartoon informations on either the preoperative or postoperative phases of the surgery. A third, control, group received no information. Self-report (reported pain), physiological (body temperature and blood pressure) and behavioral (e.g. sleep, speech recovery, medications, irritability, cooperative behavior, complaints, smiles) measures were taken at regular intervals in the three days following the surgery. Results support the effectiveness of participative information in improving children recovery after surgery and reducing their complaints and non-cooperative behaviors. Subjects in the postoperative information group also reported less pain than subjects in the other two groups. In general, postoperative symptom-related informations resulted to be more effective than preoperative informations.