Benefits of an individualized perioperative plan for children with autism spectrum disorder

Perioperative care for children with autism spectrum disorder may be challenging. Previous investigators recommend development of an individualized perioperative management plan with caregiver involvement.

The primary goal was to determine the usefulness of an individualized plan based on the decision to provide preoperative sedation stratified by autism spectrum severity level. Secondary goals were to assess the effectiveness of the plan based on subjective assessment of patient behavior at induction of anesthesia and caregiver satisfaction.

We developed an individualized plan for each child with autism spectrum disorder scheduled for anesthesia. Children were categorized by autism spectrum disorder severity level. With institutional ethics approval, we conducted a retrospective chart review to document need for preoperative sedation, sedation stratified by autism spectrum disorder severity level, behavior at induction, and caregiver satisfaction.

Between 2012 and 2014, we successfully prepared a plan for 246 (98%) of 251 surgical or diagnostic procedures in 224 patients. Severity level was distributed as 45% Severity Level 1 and Asperger's, 25% Severity Level 2, and 30% Severity Level 3. The majority (90%) of cases were scheduled as day surgery. Preoperative sedation increased with increasing severity level: Severity Level 1 (21%) or Asperger's (31%), Severity Level 2 (44%), and Severity Level 3 (56%). The odds ratio for sedation use was 5.5 [CI: 2.6-11.5, P<.001] with Severity Level 3 vs Severity Level 1 patients. Cooperation at induction of anesthesia was 90% overall with preoperative sedation administered to 94 (38%) of the entire cohort. Cooperation was greatest in Severity Level 1 (98%) and Asperger's patients (93%) and somewhat less (85%) in patients in Severity Levels 2 and 3. The plan was helpful to guide sedation choices as cooperation did not differ between sedated and unsedated children at any severity level (overall χ² =2.87 P=.09). Satisfaction among caregivers contacted was 98%.

The results suggest that an individualized plan is helpful in the perioperative management of children with autism spectrum disorder and that knowledge of autism spectrum disorder severity level may be helpful in determining the need for preoperative sedation.