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Preoperative anxiety and volume and acidity of gastric fluid in children
1Department of Anesthesiology, Sapporo Medical University, School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Insights
Preoperative anxiety in children and parents did not significantly alter gastric fluid volume or acidity, suggesting it does not reduce aspiration pneumonia risk. This study examined anxiety levels and gastric parameters in young surgical patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Surgical Patient Management
- Gastrointestinal Physiology
Background:
- Preoperative anxiety is common in pediatric surgical patients.
- Anxiety may influence physiological responses, including gastric function.
- Gastric fluid volume and acidity are critical factors in aspiration risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between preoperative anxiety levels in children and their parents and the resulting gastric fluid characteristics.
- To determine if anxiety influences gastric volume and pH, potentially impacting aspiration pneumonia risk.
Main Methods:
- Studied 43 pediatric patients (3-6 years) undergoing minor surgery.
- Assessed parental and child anxiety using visual analogue scales (VAS-N, VAS-M).
- Measured gastric fluid volume and pH post-induction; analyzed correlation between anxiety groups (low vs. high) and gastric parameters.
Main Results:
- The high-anxiety group exhibited significantly lower gastric fluid volume compared to the low-anxiety group.
- No significant differences in gastric fluid pH were observed between the groups.
- A significant correlation was found between parental and patient anxiety scores (VAS-N).
Conclusions:
- Preoperative anxiety in children and parents did not appear to increase gastric fluid volume or acidity.
- The findings suggest that anxiety levels, as measured, may not significantly modify the risk of aspiration pneumonia in this pediatric surgical population.
Abstract:
Forty-three patients aged 3-6 years, undergoing minor surgery were studied. Parents staying with their children were asked to evaluate the anxiety of their children and themselves by a visual-analogue scale the night before surgery (VAS-N) and just before premedication in the morning (VAS-M). After induction, gastric fluid was collected and the volume and pH were measured. Patients with a VAS-M lower than 5 were considered the low-anxiety group (L-group; n=24) and the remainder comprised the high-anxiety group (H-group; n=19). The gastric volume of the H-group was significantly lower than that of the L-group. No difference was found in pH. A significant overall correlation of VAS-N was found between patients and their parents. These results suggest that the low level anxiety of children and their parents could not reduce the volume and acidity of gastric fluid and consequently the risk of aspiration pneumonia.