Cold Therapy for Pediatric Appendectomy

Experimental: Cold Therapy & Standard Post Operative Analgesia

Patients in the cryotherapy group will have the ice water in their cryotherapy device maintained continuously for 2 days from initial application as this is the reported time of average patient disability and children typically return to school by post-operative day 3. The device will not be placed directly on the skin to minimize tissue damage. An additional protective barrier pad included with the cold therapy device will provide a barrier between the skin and the cooling device. This allows for continuous cooling at a higher target skin temperature. Aside from the cryotherapy, all surgical treatment will be standard of care.

Dispositivo: Cold Therapy

A Breg Polar Care Cube with WrapOn Polar Pad, Back will be filled with ice chips and water per manufacturer instructions and applied to the abdomen.

Otros nombres:

• Crioterapia
• Breg Polar Care Cube

Otro: Standard of Care

Standard post-operative analgesia without the use of cryotherapy.

Comparador activo: Standard Post Operative Analgesia

Otro: Standard of Care

Standard post-operative analgesia without the use of cryotherapy.

Numeric Pain Intensity Scale

The primary outcome variable in this trial is pain score as reported on the Numeric Pain Intensity Scale. These scores will be self-reported (Numerical Pain Intensity Scale, 0-10 visual analog scale with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing the worst pain imaginable) assessed and documented once daily.

Mean Morphine Metabolic Equivalents (MME)

Mean amount of morphine administered throughout the duration of the hospital stay.

Length of Hospital Stay

Length of time stayed in the hospital before being discharged

Time to Return of Tolerating Solid Food

Time in days it takes to tolerate solid foods.

Brief Pain Inventory Short Form

Pain diagram to indicate location of pain and 7 Likert-scale questions assessing pain severity and interference with feeling and function, scores ranging from 0 = No pain to 10 = pain as bad as you can imagine assessed just before hospital discharge and once daily.