: The purpose of this investigation was to compare child behavior before
surgery with experience of pain and anxiety in relation to two techniques of tonsil
surgery, to relate previous experiences of surgery/tonsillitis with anxiety and pain,
and to compare the children’s, parent’s and nurse’s rating of pain.
Method: Ninety-two children (5—15 years) with sleep-disordered breathing
(SDB) and with or without recurrent tonsillitis were randomized to partial tonsil
resection/tonsillotomy (TT) or full tonsillectomy (TE). Measures: Parents:
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Children: State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory for
Children (STAIC) and seven-point Faces Pain Scale (FPS). Parents/staff: seven-point
Verbal Pain Rating Scale (VPRS). Pain relievers were opoids, paracetamol and
diclophenac.