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Published on: July 19, 2017
Effectiveness of two distraction strategies in reducing preoperative anxiety in children in China: A randomized
Xiao Wang1, Jie Zhang2, He Xin1
1The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China.
Insights
Animation effectively reduced preoperative anxiety in children entering the operating room. Both music and animation improved cooperation during anesthesia induction, though their anxiety reduction effects varied.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Child Psychology
- Medical Intervention Efficacy
Background:
- Preoperative anxiety in children is common.
- Music and animation are accessible distraction methods.
- Previous studies show inconsistent results for these interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of music versus animation for reducing preoperative anxiety in children.
- To compare these distraction strategies against a control group.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 183 children undergoing surgery.
- Three groups: music intervention, animation intervention, and routine care (control).
- Anxiety levels, cooperation, heart rate, and blood pressure were measured at multiple time points.
Main Results:
- Animation significantly reduced anxiety upon entering the operating room.
- Both interventions improved cooperation during anesthesia induction.
- Physiological measures like heart rate and blood pressure showed group differences.
Conclusions:
- Music and animation are effective in reducing preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients.
- These strategies enhance cooperation during the induction of anesthesia.
- Animation shows a specific benefit in reducing anxiety upon operating room entry.
Purpose:
Music and animation are the most common and affordable distraction strategies to reduce preoperative anxiety in children; however, their effects are inconsistent. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of two distraction strategies (music or animation) in reducing preoperative anxiety in children.
Design And Methods:
In this randomized controlled trial, 183 children who underwent surgery were divided into music, animation, and control groups using a single-blind block randomized design. Children in the control group underwent routine preoperative visits. Meanwhile, the children in the intervention groups could choose their favorite music and cartoons as intervention content. Study outcomes included anxiety levels, degree of cooperation, heart rate, and blood pressure. Data were collected before entering the operating room, entering the operating room, and before the induction of anesthesia; only the degree of cooperation was collected before the induction of anesthesia.
Results:
Only animation significantly reduced preoperative anxiety in the children (P < 0.05) upon entering the operating room. Both music and animation reduced the level of preoperative anxiety before induction of anesthesia; however, there was no significant difference between them (P > 0.05). The induction compliance score was significantly lower in the music and animation groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). Heart rates differed significantly between the three groups from before entering the operating room to before induction of anesthesia. Children in the control group had the highest systolic blood pressure upon entering the operating room (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Music and animation strategies can significantly reduce preoperative anxiety in children and improve surgical cooperation during anesthesia induction.
Trial Registration:
Clinical.
Trials:
gov NCT05285995.
