Effects of preadmission preparation on compliance with home care instructions.

This study was conducted to test the effects of preadmission preparation on parent and child psychological upset at the time of tonsillectomy surgery, on child postsurgery behavior, and on parental compliance with home care instructions. Forty children aged 3 to 11 years who underwent tonsillectomy on an outpatient basis were studied. No significant differences were found in parent and child behaviors of those people in the preparation group compared with those in the nonpreparation group. Parental reports of home care revealed that the majority of parents did not follow at least one half of the physicians' home care instructions. The findings of the study indicate the need to further examine factors associated with parental compliance with home care instructions.