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Published on: November 9, 2016
Premedication and parental presence revisited
1Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA. kain@biomed.med.yale.edu
Insights
Pediatric perioperative anxiety affects up to 60% of children. This review evaluates behavioral and pharmacological interventions to reduce anxiety and distress during anesthesia and surgery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Child Psychology
- Perioperative Medicine
Background:
- Significant anxiety and distress impact up to 60% of children during the perioperative period.
- Current management includes behavioral strategies and pharmacological options.
- Effective interventions are crucial for improving pediatric surgical outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the effectiveness of behavioral and pharmacological interventions for pediatric perioperative anxiety.
- To assess the impact of these interventions on clinically relevant outcomes.
- To provide evidence-based insights for managing anxiety in children undergoing surgery.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing literature.
- Analysis of studies on behavioral interventions (e.g., parental presence).
- Evaluation of pharmacological interventions (e.g., sedative premedication).
Main Results:
- Data on the efficacy of various interventions are synthesized.
- Comparison of outcomes between different management strategies.
- Identification of factors influencing intervention success.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral and pharmacological approaches show potential in mitigating pediatric perioperative anxiety.
- Further research is needed to optimize intervention protocols.
- Evidence supports the use of targeted strategies to improve the pediatric surgical experience.
Abstract:
Up to 60% of all children undergoing anesthesia and surgery experience significant anxiety and distress during the perioperative period. Currently, both behavioral interventions such as parental presence during induction of anesthesia and pharmacological interventions such as sedative premedication are used to treat this clinical phenomenon. In this review, we examine the effectiveness of these interventions on clinically relevant perioperative outcomes.
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