А role of the nurse in the estimation and control of postoperative pain in patients after tonsilectomy

Abstract

Introduction. Tonsillectomy is a common surgical procedure in otolaryngology practice which is accompanied by severe pain that persists for a long time. In order to estimate the patient’s subjective pain and improve the effectiveness of its relief, nurse uses the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) (0–10 points), where 0 – absence of pain, 10 – the most severe pain.

The aim of study – to evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-led pain supervision in patients after tonsillectomy.

The main part. During 2025 under the supervision of LLC Medical Center «Lorimed», 43 patients with a diagnosis of recurrent tonsillitis were observed, including: 30 women and 13 men aged 18 to 50 years, who underwent tonsillectomy. Patients received standard analgesic therapy according to protocols. Two hours post-surgery, pain was estimated according to the NRS scale. 24 patients required additional anesthesia. Six hours after re-evaluation, patients noted an improvement in their condition. According to our observations, the greatest intensity of pain was observed in the first 24 hours after surgery. Standardization of subjective pain allows us to compare the dynamics of the pain syndrome (initial score 7, later decreased to 4) and helps to resolve whether there is a need for additional anesthesia. One of the directions of medical care for our patients after tonsillectomy is low-intensity laser therapy (LILT). According to some studies, the use of LILT after tonsillectomy may be associated with decrease of postoperative pain intensity and need for analgesic therapy. It is possible to use a therapeutic laser for local exposure directly to the postoperative wound area and transcutaneously in the projection zone of tonsillar fossa. This helps to reduce local edema and the severity of the inflammatory reaction, which contributes to faster epithelialization of the postoperative surface. Another important component of nursing care is patient education about the features of the postoperative period, which helps reduce anxiety and leads to fast recovery.

Conclusions. Nursing supervision of pain estimation and control allows to increase the effectiveness of treatment and reduce the risk of complications. Providing information for patients about features of the disease, dynamic observation and the use of low-intensity laser therapy contribute to improvement of treatment outcomes.