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Journal of Child Health Care
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Home next day: early discharge of children following appendicectomy

Michael Pfeil, BSc(Hons),MSc,PhD,RN

Nursing and Midwifery Research Unit, Faculty of Health, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, m.pfeil{at}uea.ac.uk

Azad Mathur, BS,MB,MS,MCh,FRCSG,FRCS (PaedSurg)

Jenny Lind Children's Department, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK

Shalini Singh, BS,MB,FRCS

Paediatric Surgeon, Jenny Lind Children's Department, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK

Chris Morris, MSc,MD,MBChB,MRCS

Eastern Region, Jenny Lind Children's Department, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK

Gill Green, RSCN,RGN

Jenny Lind Children's Department, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK

Milind Kulkarni, BS,MB,MS,MCh,FRACS, FRCS(PaedSurg)

Jenny Lind Children's Department, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK

Fifty-six children in two groups were discharged within 24 hours of an uncomplicated appendicectomy. While the children in the first group (N = 21) were visited by a nurse at home within 24 hours of discharge, the second group (N = 35) just received telephone calls. The cohort was evaluated by telephone interviews two weeks after discharge. All children fulfilling the discharge standards were discharged safely within 24 hours of surgery. Any physical complaints post-discharge were considered minor. The nurses were able to provide reassurance to the families, give advice and deal with minor problems. As a result the families felt safe and reassured, and in only one case did the fragility of parental confidence become obvious. This study has demonstrated the safety of discharging these children within 24 hours of surgery and the value to nursing contacts in enabling the families to care for their children at home.

Key Words: appendicectomy • discharge • postoperative care • quality of care • surgical nursing

Journal of Child Health Care, Vol. 11, No. 3, 208-220 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1367493507079565
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