Elisabeth Ericsson

 Had her dissertation in 2007 at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, with the thesis Health and well-being of children and young adults in relation to surgery of the tonsils.

The focus of Elisabeth Ericsson¿s (EE) research is her interest of the pre-operative preparation and post-operative support for children and young people undergoing anesthesia and surgery, to minimize the negative emotional reaction and to achieve optimal pain control in children.

She has a long experience as a clinical nurse and started to work as a nurse anaesthetist 20 years ago and had the position of head nurse for surgery and anaesthesia in the ENT- clinic for ten years. It was in this role she began her research for her thesis. In 2007 she gave her viva voce on her thesis and had her doctorate in medicine. The thesis title was “Health and well-being of children and young adults in relation to surgery of the tonsils". Tonsil surgery is the most common paediatric surgical procedure performed worldwide. The aim of the thesis was to improve the care given to these children and young adults, and to describe tonsillotomy (removal of the majority of the tonsillar tissue) [TT] in comparison with the more common tonsillectomy (removing all of the tonsil) [TE]. Children with tonsillar hypertrophy resulting in upper airway obstruction, sleep-disordered breathing [SDB] with or without recurrent tonsillitis have a negative impact on behaviour, and health-related quality of life [HRQL]. Both TE and TT yielded large improvements in HRQL, infections, obstructive, behaviour problems after surgery, indicating that both surgical methods are equally effective. TT is a safe method with less pain, shorter recovery time, larger cost reduction etc than regular TE.

The research –group in this area (tonsil-surgery) has been nationally leading and the publications and participation in international meetings have influenced a change to the tonsillotomy method. EE is one of the group members of the national expert group for tonsil surgery. The group has produced national guidelines for tonsil surgery in Sweden (2009) and national guidelines for tonsillotomy (2011).

Scientific work in progress: To validate two internationally widely used instruments designed to assess SDB for children. The purpose is for clinicians and researchers to be able to use it to categorise the baseline impact of SDB and to quantify changes in HRQL. A research tonsil-project about the oral-motor dysfunction in small children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy is in progress. The purpose of another project is to describe the experience of postoperative pain in relation to surgery of the tonsil and the pain treatment with non pharmacological intervention and pharmacological management. Web-based information is being distributed nationally to children, adults and parents in order to improve the care.

EE is part of a research group where the aim of the project is to minimize the anxiety for the child in connection with surgery. Children develop behavioural stress and anxiety before surgery and this seems to be a factor for later behavioural problems. Studies in this project include; to test the reliability and validity of the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale to assess and evaluate childrens' anxiety and behaviour during the preoperative period and to exploare certified registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) strategies in the encounter with the anxious children and to evaluate educational interventions intended for anesthetists and parents to enhance the alliance between anesthetists and the child in relation to anesthesia induction.

Elisabeth Ericsson's publications at Jönköping University

Elisabeth Ericsson's publications in DiVA (publication database)