Narcotic vs. Non-narcotic Pain Regimens After Pediatric Appendectomy

There is concern that pain prescription after outpatient pediatric surgical procedures is excessive and is in excess of patient need. Current practice following pediatric appendectomy is to prescribe all children with 5-15 doses of narcotic pain medication upon discharge regardless of their age, severity of appendicitis, or pain control in the hospital. This study examines the amount of narcotic pain control required by pediatric patients after undergoing appendectomy using a randomized controlled trial study design. Pain control will be assessed with a post-operative pain scale, patient satisfaction survey, and parent satisfaction survey on the days following surgery and at post-operative follow-up. The hypothesis is that the pain scores and patient satisfaction surveys will show no difference in post-operative pain control between the two arms.