Pediatric anesthesia & critical care
New postoperative pain instrument for toddlers—Secondary analysis of prospectively collected assessments after tonsil surgery
Authors' conclusion
The new instrument is easy to use and may improve postoperative pain intensity assessment in children.
Study context
- Population
- Hospitalised preschool children after tonsil surgery
- Participants
- 1,067 pain intensity assessments
- Primary endpoint
- Indication for rescue medication (CHIPPS ≥4 and/or PPPM-D ≥ 6; analgesics required yes/no)
Methodological detailsinstrument development study, Boruta variable selection, symbolic regression, machine-learning methods, cross-validated
- Instrument development study
- Boruta variable selection
- Symbolic regression
- Machine-learning methods
- Cross-validated
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Rescue medication indication rule from symbolic regression
Cross-validated accuracy of the new tool
94.94%
Further findings
Additional analgesics required
- Proportion of pain intensity assessments requiring additional analgesics
- 19.96%
- PPPM-D showed higher variance than Children's and Infant's Postoperative Pain Scale (CHIPPS)
Boruta variable selection
- PPPM-D score, CHIPPS score, 9 of the 15 PPPM-D variables and time of assessment associated with rescue medication indication
- Selected PPPM-D items not redundant; nonlinear course over time
Original publication
New postoperative pain instrument for toddlers—Secondary analysis of prospectively collected assessments after tonsil surgery. Paediatr Anaesth. Published 23 December 2023. doi:10.
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