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Child behaviour after anaesthesia: associated risk factors

M Karling1, H Stenlund, B Hägglöf

  • 1Division of Anaesthesia, University of Umeå, Sweden. mats.karling@vll.se

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|April 28, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Pain at home, not in the hospital, significantly increases the risk of problematic behaviors in children post-hospitalization. Improving home pain management is crucial for prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Healthcare
  • Child Psychology
  • Anesthesiology

Background:

  • Childhood hospitalization and anesthesia can lead to adverse behavioral outcomes.
  • Identifying risk factors for post-hospitalization behavioral problems is essential for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine hospital care factors associated with problematic behaviors in children after hospitalization.
  • To investigate the impact of pain, anxiety, and other perioperative variables on child behavior.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 340 children (ages 2-13) undergoing elective procedures with anesthesia was studied.
  • Data collected included sociodemographics, procedure type, anesthesia induction, premedication, and staff/parental assessments of anxiety and pain.
  • Behavioral outcomes were assessed using the Post Hospital Behavioural Questionnaire (PHBQ) two weeks post-discharge.

Main Results:

  • 34.4% of children exhibited at least one problematic behavior post-hospitalization.
  • Key risk factors identified: younger age (<5), pain at home (but not hospital), nausea, anxiety during anesthesia induction, postoperative distress, prior hospitalizations, and single-parent households.
  • Moderate-to-severe pain at home presented the highest risk (OR 6.39).

Conclusions:

  • Pain experienced at home, distinct from hospital pain, is a significant predictor of new or exacerbated behavioral issues in children post-anesthesia and hospitalization.
  • Proactive strategies focusing on optimizing pain management in the home environment are recommended to mitigate these behavioral sequelae.
Abstract

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