The effect of cold application after suture on child's pain in children

This research was carried out as an experimental study with pre-test and post-test control groups in order to evaluate the effect of cold applications applied after suturing on the pain level of children who underwent suturing. The research was carried out in the pediatric emergency services of Fırat University Hospital and Baskil District State Hospital between December 2021 and June 2023. The population of the study consists of children between the ages of 12 and 17 who are treated in the pediatric emergency departments of both hospitals. The sample consists of 300 children (experimental group n=150, control group n=150) who underwent suturing in the pediatric emergency services between the specified dates. Socio-Demographic Description Form and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the data, dependent group t-test, independent group t-test, one-factor anova and one-way analysis of variance tests were used for related measurements. In the study, after the suturing procedure, children in the experimental groups were applied cold for 20 minutes at 0, 1, 2 and 6 hours. It was found that the total mean score of the VAS scale applied after the 1st, 2nd and 6th hours of the suturing procedure decreased in the experimental group compared to the children in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant. (p<0.05) As a result, it is seen that the cold application applied to the children after the suturing procedure is effective in reducing the pain of the child. It is recommended to use non-pharmacological methods in pain management after suturing. Key Words: Child, Cold Application, Nurse, Pain, Suture