CLINICAL AND LABORATORY CHANGES IN POSTSURGICAL PAIN MARKERS IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Pos toperative pain in children remains a signifi cant problem in pediatric intensive care, possibly related to an imperfect algorithm for its management. Prolonged postoperative pain delays recovery and rehabilitation, increases treatment costs, and prolongs opioid use. Inadequate perioperative pain management can lead to a variety of postoperative complications, the prediction of which remains elusive despite the use of commonly accepted clinical, laboratory, and instrumental indicators. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and laboratory changes in children after abdominal surgery and their correlation with acute pain scales. Material and Methods. The study included 83 children aged 7-18 years who underwent abdominal surgery under opioid anesthesia. Inclusion criteria: age 7-18 years; indication for surgery for acute appendicitis; American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Anesthesia Risk Score I and II; parental consent for the children to participate in the study. Acute pain intensity was measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scale. Key vital signs assessed included heart rate, respiratory rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and oxygen saturation (SpO2). In addition, laboratory indicators including leukocyte count, blood glucose level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and TLR-4 and CD40L levels were determined. All clinical and laboratory studies were conducted in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki «Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects» (Minutes of the Ethics Committee No. 2, dated February 24, 2002). Statistical analysis was performed on a personal computer using Statistica 10 software, using parametric and nonparametric statistical methods. The study is a part of the research project of the Department of Children’s Diseases of the Postgraduate Medical Education Faculty of the Ivano- Frankivsk National Medical University «Health Status and Adaptation of Children from the Precarpathian Region with Somatic Diseases, Their Prevention» 2021-2026, state registration number 0121U111129; the author is a co-researcher. Results. The mean age of the children was 13.8±0.23 years, while the mean body weight was 40.9±1.6 kg. Gender assessment showed no diff erences between boys and girls (55.4 % and 44.6 %, respectively, р>0.05). The study showed very strong positive correlations (r=0.9-1.0) between acute pain assessment scores on the VAS and FLACC scale and heart rate, blood glucose levels; strong positive correlations (r=0.7-0. 9) with total leukocyte count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate; moderate positive correlations (r=0.5-0.7) with serum TLR4 and CD40L levels; weak positive correlations (r<0.5) with diastolic blood pressure, SpO2, and opioid and non-opioid analgesic administration. Conclusions. The observed positive correlations between acute pain scores on the VAS and FLACC scale and proinfl ammatory indicators may support the theory of involvement of these markers in the generation of acute pain in pediatric patients. However, further research is needed to investigate the mechanisms of acute postoperative pain generation, to identify markers related to nociception in chronic pain, and to develop preventive strategies for these conditions in children.

Keywords

• children; acute postoperative pain; CD40L system; TLR4; FLACC scale; Visual Analog Scale