[Children, parents and anxiety.]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Anesthesiology
• Child Psychology
• Behavioral Medicine

Context:

• Preoperative anxiety in children is common, manifesting as stress and worry.
• This anxiety can lead to significant postoperative behavioral changes, including sleep disturbances and enuresis, potentially lasting up to a year.
• Factors like age, temperament, prior hospital experiences, and pain influence these outcomes.

Purpose:

• To evaluate anxiety-related factors affecting children and parents preoperatively.
• To assess the efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in mitigating preoperative anxiety and its sequelae.
• To review existing approaches for reducing preoperative anxiety, including parental presence and preanesthetic medication.

Summary:

• The preoperative period causes significant emotional distress for pediatric patients and their families.
• Parental presence during anesthetic induction and tailored preparation can benefit selected children.
• Preanesthetic medication, particularly midazolam, is highly effective in reducing preoperative anxiety and subsequent behavioral changes.

Impact:

• Effective management of preoperative anxiety can prevent long-term behavioral issues in children.
• Understanding influencing factors allows for personalized interventions.
• Pharmacological interventions like midazolam offer a reliable solution for managing pediatric preoperative anxiety.