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Child distress during hospitalization: implications for practice
1Canterbury and Thanet Health Authority, UK.
Insights
Younger children and girls experience more distress during ENT surgery. Overnight parental presence is linked to increased distress, suggesting targeted preparation programs for children and parents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Child Psychology
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Pediatric patients undergoing surgery often experience significant distress.
- Understanding factors influencing distress is crucial for improving patient care.
- Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) surgery is common in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the levels and predictors of distress in children admitted for ENT surgery.
- To identify specific age groups and demographic factors associated with higher distress.
- To explore the impact of parental presence on pediatric surgical distress.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 221 children admitted for ENT surgery.
- Distress levels were assessed by nursing staff.
- Data collected on patient age, gender, and overnight parental presence.
Main Results:
- Children aged 5 years and under exhibited the highest distress levels.
- Girls reported greater distress compared to boys.
- The presence of a parent overnight was associated with increased child distress.
Conclusions:
- Younger children require tailored preparation programs to mitigate surgical distress.
- Preparation strategies should also consider involving parents to reduce anxiety.
- Interventions should focus on age-specific and gender-sensitive approaches for pediatric surgical patients.
Abstract:
This paper investigates distress in 221 children admitted to a district general hospital for ENT surgery. Younger children (5 years and under) were rated by nurses as being most distressed, with girls more so than boys. Presence of a parent in hospital overnight is also found to be associated with higher levels of distress. It is suggested that preparation programmes designed to reduce distress should target younger children and that consideration be given to a preparation programme for parents.