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Flavored Anesthetic Masks for Inhalational Induction in Children
Aakriti Gupta1, Preethy Joseph Mathew2, Neerja Bhardwaj1
1Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Sector 12, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
Insights
Masking inhalational anesthetic odors with fruit flavors did not significantly reduce children's anxiety or improve mask acceptance. However, flavored anesthetic masks are a more cost-effective option compared to commercial pre-scented masks.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pediatric Anesthesia
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Inhalational induction is common in pediatric anesthesia.
- Managing pre-operative anxiety and ensuring mask compliance are crucial for successful induction.
- Masking the odor of anesthetic agents may potentially reduce anxiety and improve acceptance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the clinical efficacy of fruit-flavored anesthetic masks in reducing anxiety and improving compliance during inhalational induction in children.
- To compare the cost-effectiveness of DIY flavored masks versus commercially available pre-scented masks.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 60 children aged 4-12 years.
- Children received either flavored or unflavored anesthetic masks.
- Anxiety was measured using the modified Yale Pre-operative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS), and mask acceptance was assessed using the Induction Compliance Checklist (ICC).
Main Results:
- No significant difference in anxiety levels or mask compliance was observed between the flavored and non-flavored mask groups.
- Baseline anxiety levels were comparable between groups.
- DIY flavored masks cost INR 56.45 per mask, significantly less than commercial pre-scented masks at INR 660 per mask.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests a placebo effect may have influenced the control group's anxiety levels, leading to similar outcomes between groups.
- Using flavored anesthetic masks is a cost-effective alternative to commercially available pre-scented masks.
- While not improving anxiety or compliance, flavored masks offer a budget-friendly option.
Objectives:
To evaluate the clinical efficacy of masking the odor of inhalational agents using fruit flavors on the anxiety behavior and compliance of children for inhalational induction.
Methods:
A prospective randomized double blind, placebo controlled study was conducted on 60 unpremedicated children in the age group of 4-12 y. Thirty children received anesthetic masks smeared with a flavor of child's choice while the other 30 children were induced using masks without flavor. Anxiety was assessed using modified Yale Pre-operative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) in the pre-op room and during inhalational induction. Mask acceptance was graded by Induction Compliance Checklist (ICC). The cost-effectiveness of flavored anesthetic masks was compared to that of commercially available pre-scented masks.
Results:
The baseline anxiety in the two groups was comparable. The number of children demonstrating high levels of anxiety at anesthetic induction was similar in flavored and non-flavored mask groups (p 0.45). The compliance to mask induction was also equally good (p 0.99). The authors found significant difference in the cost of flavored mask (INR 56.45 per mask) as compared to commercially available pre-scented masks (INR 660 per mask).
Conclusions:
The authors observed a placebo effect that reduced the pre-op anxiety in the control group which probably made the quality of induction equivalent with flavored and non-flavored masks. Therefore, using a flavored anesthetic mask is cost-effective than using a commercially available pre-scented mask.
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