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Paediatric day case anaesthesia: estimate of its quality at home
B Grenier1, M Dubreuil, D Siao
1Department of Anaesthesiology 3, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France.
Insights
This clinical audit assessed pediatric day case anesthesia recovery at home. While most parents were satisfied, pain and anxiety were common, highlighting areas for improved post-anesthesia care and pain management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Clinical Audit
- Patient Recovery
Background:
- Day case anesthesia in children is common.
- Evaluating home recovery and parent satisfaction is crucial for quality improvement.
- Understanding post-anesthesia complications in pediatric patients is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To audit the home recovery process and complications in pediatric day case anesthesia.
- To assess parent satisfaction with the anesthetic and recovery experience.
- To identify areas for improvement in pediatric post-anesthesia care.
Main Methods:
- A clinical audit involving 104 day case anesthetized children.
- Parental questionnaires administered at discharge and returned by mail.
- Data collection on pain, vomiting, agitation, anxiety, and healthcare contact.
Main Results:
- 8% experienced pain in the recovery room; 25% reported pain at home.
- Vomiting (9%) and agitation (6%) were noted during home recovery.
- Parental anxiety was reported in 45%, with 14% contacting their general practitioner.
- Despite challenges, 94% of parents were satisfied with the anesthetic.
Conclusions:
- Clinical audits are valuable for identifying deficiencies in pediatric anesthesia management.
- Home recovery quality can be enhanced through better perioperative analgesia and follow-up.
- Improved collaboration between hospital staff and general practitioners can support better pediatric post-anesthesia care.
Abstract:
The aim of this clinical audit was to evaluate the home recovery and complications of 104 daycase anaesthetized children, as well as parent satisfaction. A questionnaire, explained at the time of preoperative visit, was given to parents at hospital discharge and returned by mail. Opioids were administered in 19% of the children whereas regional anaesthesia was performed in 28% of cases. In the recovery room, 8% of them suffered pain. At home, pain was the main problem (25%) and vomiting and agitation were found in 9% and 6% of the cases respectively. Parents reported anxiety in 45% of cases, and 14% called their general practitioner. Nevertheless, 94% were satisfied with the anaesthetic. A clinical audit is useful in detecting management deficiencies. Quality of home recovery may be improved by: wider use of perioperative analgesia, systematic prescription of take-home analgesia, designation of a hospital practitioner for advice, and closer collaboration with general practitioners.