Anxiety and Pain in Children Undergoing Surgery: A Scoping Review

Edlin Glane Mathias1, Mamatha Shivananda Pai1

  • 1Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Karnataka, India.

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Pain Management
  • Anxiety Research

Background:

  • Perioperative anxiety and pain are common in pediatric surgical patients.
  • Untreated anxiety can impede recovery and increase complication risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a scoping review examining the link between perioperative anxiety and postoperative pain in children.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature search across major databases (PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest, Cochrane).
  • Included original research published in English from 2000-2021.
  • Two independent reviewers screened studies based on predefined criteria.

Main Results:

  • Eleven studies were included from 1,180 initially retrieved.
  • A majority of studies indicated a positive correlation between higher perioperative anxiety and increased postoperative pain in children.

Conclusions:

  • Perioperative anxiety significantly impacts postoperative pain in pediatric patients.
  • There is a critical need for age-appropriate interventions to mitigate both anxiety and pain, thereby reducing complications.
Abstract

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