PedSQL™ Family Impact Module as an Instrument foe Quality of Life Assessment (PedsQL™) in Children with Chronic Postsurgical Pain

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The concept of quality of life (QoL) is today an integral part of the health-care system and clinical, medical, and social research. Untreated chronic pain in children increases the risk of developing mental disorders later in life. The pediatric QoL inventory 3.0 (PedsQL™) is one of the most valid and widely used tools for assessing pediatric QoL. AIM: The study was to assess QoL in children with chronic postsurgical pain 7 days, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery with different analgesic techniques by means of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Family Impact Module questionnaires. METHODS: Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 80 children undergoing treatment at the surgical department of a Communal Non-Profit Enterprise “Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital of Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council” were enrolled in the study. Among them, 60 children underwent anterior abdominal wall surgery with various types of anesthetic techniques. The patients were asked to fill in the questionnaires repeatedly 3 and 6 months after hospital discharge. RESULTS: QoL in patients with chronic pain syndrome reduced significantly (p < 0.001) on the scales of physical functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning, cognitive functioning, communication, worry, daily activities, family relationships, as well as pediatric QoL summary score, parent QoL summary score, and family functioning summary score 3 and 6 months after surgery with conventional analgesic techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain syndrome reduces QoL in children aged 7–18 years after anterior abdominal wall surgery by reducing their physical, emotional, social, and cognitive functioning. The myofascial block in conjunction with general anesthesia accelerates patient’s recovery, relieves pain, and reduces emotional stress.