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Behavioural changes following routine ENT operations in two-to-ten-year-old children
L H Kotiniemi1, P T Ryhänen, I K Moilanen
1Department of Anaesthesiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland.
Insights
Most children experience behavioral changes after routine ENT surgery, but these issues decrease over time. Younger children, particularly those aged 3 and 5, are more prone to these post-operative behavioral problems.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Routine Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) operations are common in children.
- Post-operative behavioral changes can impact children and their families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate behavioral changes in children following routine ENT surgery.
- To identify the incidence, duration, and types of behavioral problems observed.
Main Methods:
- Parental evaluation of behavioral changes in 85 children aged 2-10 years.
- Data collected at one day, one week, and one month post-operation.
- Analysis of behavioral changes based on age, hospitalization status, and gender.
Main Results:
- 61% of children exhibited behavioral problems at some point; 33% showed improvement.
- The proportion of children with problems decreased from 59% at 1 day to 32% at 1 month.
- Younger children (≤5 years) had higher incidence (79%) compared to older children (43%).
- Common issues included increased attention-seeking (34%), temper tantrums (25%), night waking (16%), and eating problems (16%).
Conclusions:
- Behavioral problems are common post-ENT surgery but tend to resolve over time.
- Younger children are more susceptible to these changes.
- Routine ENT surgery does not appear to differentially affect behavior based on day-case vs. inpatient status or gender.
Abstract:
Behavioural changes in 85 two-to-ten-year-old children were evaluated by the parents one day, one week and one month after a routine ENT operation. Twenty (23%) children showed no changes. Behavioural problems at least once during the observation time were seen in 52 (61%) and improvements in 28 (33%) children, 15 (17%) had both. There was no statistically significant difference between the children treated as day cases and those hospitalized for one or two nights, or between the girls and the boys. The proportion of children showing behavioural problems decreased from 59% at 1 day to 32% at 1 month after the operation. The highest incidence of problematic changes occurred in children aged 3, 5 years or younger (79%), and the incidence was lowest in the 5.0-6.9-year-olds (43%). The most common changes were an increase in seeking attention from the parents (in 34% of the children), temper tantrums (25%), waking up at nights (16%) and problems in eating (16%).