Preparation of parents by teaching of distraction techniques does not reduce child anxiety at anaesthetic induction.

Introduction For those children having surgery, induction of anaesthesia is one of the most stressful procedures the child experiences perioperatively. Current work has failed to show a benefit of parental presence at induction of anaesthesia for all children. The reasons for lack of effect may include the high anxiety levels of some parents and also that the role for parents at their child's induction is not delineated. The main aim of this study was to see if parental preparation by teaching of distraction techniques could reduce their child's anxiety during intravenous induction of anaesthesia. Methods After ethics committee approval 40 children aged 2–10 years old, ASA status I or II undergoing daycase surgery under general anaesthesia were enrolled into the study. To avoid possible confounding factors children with a history of previous, surgery, chronic illness or developmental delay were excluded form participation. No children were given sedative premedication. After written informed consent by the parent, each child and parent was randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Parents in the intervention group received preparation from a play specialist working on the children's surgical ward. It involved preparation for events in the anaesthetic room and instruction on methods of distraction for their child during induction using novel toys, books or blowing bubbles appropriate to the child's age. Preoperative information collected included demographic and baseline data. The temperament of the child was measured using the EASI (Emotionality, Activity, Sociability, Impulsivity) instrument of child temperament(l). In the anaesthetic room all children were planned to have intravenous induction of anaesthesia after prior application of EMLA cream. Anxiety of the child was measured by the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS)( 2 ) by a blinded independent observer at three time points: entrance to the anaesthetic room, intravenous cannulation and at anaesthesia induction. Cooperation of the child was measured by the Induction Compliance Checklist (ICC) by the same observer ( 3 ). Postoperative data collected included parental satisfaction and anxiety scores measured by the Stait Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)( 4 ) and at one week the behaviour of the child was measured Using the Posthospitalisation Behavioural Questionnaire (PHBQ)( 5 ). Normally distributed data were analysed by a two-sample t-test, categorical data by Pearson's Chi-squared test and non-parametric data by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results One parent withdrew after enrolment. This left 22 children in the control group and 17 in the intervention group. There were no significant differences in demographic and baseline data of the children between the two groups including ethnic origin, number of siblings, birth order of the child, recent stressful events in the child's life, previous hospital admissions and the temperament of the child. Parent demographics were also similar between groups including parent's age, sex, relationship to child and level of education. There were no significant differences in child anxiety or cooperation during induction measured by mYPAS and ICC between the control and intervention groups. More parents in the preparation group distracted their child than those without preparation but this did not reach significance. Parental anxiety immediately postinduction was similar between groups as was the level of parental satisfaction. The incidence of development of new negative postoperative behaviour of the child at one week was not significantly different between groups. Discussion This study shows that giving an active role for parents in the induction room, particularly by instructing them on distracting techniques for their child, does not reduce their child's anxiety compared to conventional parental presence. We conclude resources should not be directed at this type of parental preparation. Further work should examine the usefulness of distraction by nursing staff or play specialists during anaesthetic induction.     

Experience with parents’ presence during anaesthesia induction in children

Parents of 50 unpremedicated children were invited to be present during induction of anaesthesia in their children. The presence of the parents resulted in a significant decrease in the number of very upset or turbulent children during the pre-induction and induction periods, when compared to a control group that was induced without the parents’ participation. There was no difference in the children’s behaviour in the recovery room or at home following surgery. Most parents were calm and supportive during induction, and there were no complications related to their presence. It is concluded that for some preschool children, allowing the parents to support an anxious child during anaesthesia induction can be very effective in relieving anxiety, and minimizes the need for premedication.     

Répercussions psychocomportementales en périopératoire chez l’enfant

The relevant literature since the 1940s has been collected from the Medline database, using the keywords: child, operation, anxiety, distress, postoperative complications, preparation, premedication, parental presence, prevention. Preoperative anxiety, emergence delirium, and postoperative behavior changes are all manifestations of psychological distress in children undergoing surgery. Preoperative anxiety is most prominent during anaesthesia induction. Emergence delirium is frequent and somewhat independent of pain levels. Postoperative behavior changes most often include separation anxiety, tantrums, fear of strangers, eating problems, nightmares, night terrors and bedwetting. These difficulties tend to resolve themselves with time but can last up to one year in some children. The major risk factors for postoperative behavior problems are young age, prior negative experience with hospitals or medical care, certain kinds of hospitalization, postoperative pain, parental anxiety, and certain personality traits of the child. Currently, tools exist for quantifying anxiety (m-YPAS) and postoperative behavior (PHBQ). It is possible to identify those children who are at risk for postoperative complications during the preanaesthesia consultation by paying close attention to children under six years with higher levels of emotionality and impulsivity and poorer socialization skills with anxious parents. Suggested strategies for reducing child distress include preoperative preparation, premedication, parental presence during anaesthesia induction, and interventions affecting the child's environment, such as hypnosis. There are numerous ways to provide preoperative preparation (information, modeling, role playing, encouraging effective coping) and their effectiveness is proven in the preoperative setting but not during anaesthesia induction or in the operating room. Midazolam has been shown to be an effective preoperative sedative for reducing anxiety. Parental presence during induction has been shown to effectively reduce preoperative anxiety in children in certain contexts (when the parent is calm and the child is anxious). It is worthwhile if it is integrated into a family-centered anxiety management program and remains one of several options offered to families. Overall, taking into account the child's psychological needs should be considered an essential part of paediatric anaesthesia. Tools and techniques are available for assessing and managing the perioperative distress experienced by children.     

Preparation,premedication and parental presence

40% to 60% of children undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia develop anxiety in the preoperative period. Multiple factors contribute to the genesis of this disorder. Preoperative anxiety may complicate the induction of anaesthesia and can cause behavioural modifications in children even long after surgical procedures have been completed. It is important to focus on prevention of such problems. A preparation program, premedication and parental presence during induction of anaesthesia are valid tools for achieving this goal. We are herewith presenting a play preparation program carried out by play specialists and offered to all children prior to surgery. This approach proved effective in reducing preoperative anxiety in children and their mothers.     

Preoperative psychological preparation for children undergoing ENT operations: a comparison of two methods

A psychological preparation programme was developed for outpatient surgery in children. The purpose of this study was to determine if the programme could increase retrieval of information and reduce anxiety prior to ENT surgery. After ethical committee approval, 160 children and their parents were included. Eighty children (group 1) received conventional verbal information from an ENT nurse, and another 80 children (group 2) received specific information, including role-play, from a nurse anaesthetist at a preadmission visit. Children's and parents' experience of premedication, operation theatre (OR), i.v.-needle insertion and induction of anaesthesia were evaluated from a self-rating questionnaire. The questionnaire included ratings for anxiety and satisfaction with information and care. The results indicate a clear improvement of the preoperative acquisition of knowledge in all age groups. When it comes to alleviation of fear, a positive effect of the preparation programme was noticed, especially among the younger children (< 5 years), while preoperative anxiety overall was a significantly smaller problem among the older children. The effects of the programme were also related to previous experience of anaesthesia and most beneficial among young children with such experience. Overall, the most negative procedure reported by the children was the i.m. injection for premedication (a routine which was abandoned as a result of the study), followed by the insertion of the i.v. -needle. The parents experienced watching their child fall asleep during induction of anaesthesia as most negative, followed by the insertion of the i.v.-needle. Parents also reported more satisfaction and less anxiety after having received specific information and preparation preoperatively. It was concluded that this preoperative preparation programme is useful in all age groups with regard to information, while alleviation of anxiety and fear was seen mainly among the younger children with previous experience of anaesthesia.     

Parental presence during anaesthesia induction for outpatient surgery of the infant

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of parental presence during anaesthesia induction for outpatient surgery in 73 infants (aged 1-12 months). Effects of parental presence on infant and parental outcomes, including anxiety, health care attitudes and satisfaction with the anaesthesia and surgery experience were evaluated. Results demonstrated that parental presence had no impact on infant behavioural distress during induction. In addition, parents who were present demonstrated comparable anxiety levels and health care attitudes before and after surgery, as well as comparable levels of satisfaction with the surgical experience compared to parents who were absent during induction. We discuss reasons for the lack of treatment effects from parental presence, and new directions for future research to identify subgroups of children who may most benefit from the opportunity to have parents involved in the perioperative period.     

Postoperative behavioural changes in children: comparison between halothane and sevoflurane

BACKGROUND: A questionnaire, modified from the posthospitalization behavioural questionnaire, was sent to all parents of children under 8 years of age who had elective surgery in the hospital of Lahr during the years 1997 and 1998. The parents were asked about long lasting changes (more than 1 week) in their child's behaviour after surgery. METHODS: The anaesthesia records of all these children were evaluated on the inhalational agent used (halothane or sevoflurane), the type of surgery, the sedative premedication used, the method of inducing anaesthesia and the use of opioids or nonopioids for pain therapy. Four hundred and fifty-eight of 863 parents responded (53.1%) to the questionnaire. Four hundred and twenty-seven children had minor ENT surgery and 31 minor urological surgery. Two hundred and eleven children received halothane and 214 sevoflurane as inhalational agent. RESULTS: The parents of 34 of the 211 children (16.1%) receiving halothane and 55 of 214 children (25.7%) receiving sevoflurane reported postoperative behavioural changes. This difference was highly significant (P=0.015). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the children having sevoflurane anaesthesia were more likely to develop behavioural problems postoperatively than with halothane.The rate of postoperative behavioural changes was not influenced by the type of surgery, the sedative premedication used, the induction technique or the use of opioids or nonopioid pain therapy.     

An interim analysis of a cohort study on the preoperative anxiety and postoperative behavioural changes in children having repeat anaesthetics

Introduction Anxiety in the preoperative period and at induction of anaesthesia in children is associated with disturbances in postoperative behaviour 1 - 4 ). There is little work looking at the effects of repeat anaesthetic procedures on anxiety and subsequent postoperative behaviour disturbances. The aim of this study was to see if the effect of repeat anaesthetics was cumulative on postoperative behavioural problems and whether repeated anaesthetics provoke increasing anxiety. We investigated factors that may identify children who are susceptible to behavioural changes following repeat anaesthetics. We present an interim analysis of data on 8 patients as part of a long‐term cohort study on 40 children with retinoblastoma who have required repeat anaesthetics for assessment and treatment of their condition. Method Approval for this study was granted by the East London and City Health Authority ethics committee. 40 patients are being recruited and being followed over a two year period. All children have retinoblastoma and are between the ages of 18 months to 4 years. The anaesthetic technique was not standardised but details of it were collected. Data collected were demographic details of child (age, sex, weight, ASA grade, siblings, stressful events in the last 3 months, recent immunisations, number of previous anaesthetics, problems with previous general anaesthetics, medical history of children, temperament of child using the EASI scoring system ( 4 ); demographic data of parents (age, parental education, family members affected, baseline measure of parental anxiety using State trait anxiety inventory (STAI). Anxiety on entry into the anaesthetic room and at induction was measured by the modified Yale preoperative anxiety scale (mYPAS), cooperation of the child at induction was measured by the Induction compliance checklist (ICC). Anxiety of the parent after induction was measured by the STAI score. Behaviour was measured at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 4 months after each procedure by means of the post hospital behaviour score (PHBQ) ( 5 ). A comparison with preoperative behaviour was made and data is presented of the percentage of children with new negative behavioural problems. A detailed analysis of the types of behaviour change was noted. anova for repeat measures with multiple dependent measures was used to analyse data on child anxiety and postoperative behavioural problems. Results Eight patients have had 3 separate anaesthetics over one and a half years. These have been at 4 monthly intervals. There was no significant increase in anxiety levels with repeat anaesthetics. The median mYPAS score at induction were 100 for all 3 anaesthetics. (P = 0.41). The type of behavioural change was variable and demonstrated no trend. No patient was identified as being prone to behavioural changes after every anaesthetic. Patients who displayed new negative behavioural problems would have them after any anaesthetic with no obvious cumulative effect with each repeat anaesthetic. Conclusions Our patients had maximum anxiety scores at induction, so the mYPAS scoring system is not sensitive enough to show that repeat anaesthetics provoke increasing anxiety. There is a very random pattern to behavioural disturbances after repeat anaesthetics with no evidence that negative behavioural changes are compounded with repeated anaesthetics. Collection of complete data from the remaining 32 patients may yield some trends regarding behavioural disturbances but our use of the mYPAS to measure anxiety in this very anxious population is unlikely to be helpful.     

Preoperative parental anxiety predicts behavioural and emotional responses to induction of anaesthesia in children

Parental presence at induction of anaesthesia is desirable if it makes the child happier and more cooperative. This study evaluated the emotional and behavioural responses of children to being accompanied by a parent at induction of anaesthesia in a paediatric day-care surgical centre. One hundred and thirty-four patients (aged 2-10 yr, ASA physical status I or II) were divided into two groups by day of surgery, to have a parent present at induction of anaesthesia (treatment group), or to be unaccompanied (control group). Before, and at one week after surgery, the child's fears and behaviour were scored by the Hospital Fears Inventory (HFI) and Behavioural Questionnaire (BQ), and parental anxiety by the Parents' Questionnaire (PQ) before and at one week after surgery. The Global Mood Scale (GMS) was used to assess the child's behaviour and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to assess the parent's anxiety on arrival for surgery and at induction of anaesthesia. All patients and parents were disturbed by the experience, but to the same degree in the treatment and control groups. Subgroups of "calm" and "anxious" parents were identified by a median split of their preoperative VAS scores. Children in the "calm-treatment," "calm-control" and "anxious-control" subgroups were similarly upset at induction. Children in the "anxious-treatment" subgroup were the most disturbed at induction, and significantly more than those in the "anxious-control" subgroup. Preoperative parental anxiety levels also correlated with the child's fears and behaviour one week after surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Child related background factors affecting compliance with induction of anaesthesia

BACKGROUND: Factors such as age, sex, behaviour problems, fears, earlier traumatic hospital events and reactions to vaccination were assessed together with behaviour observed before premedication in order to evaluate their importance in predicting response to the anaesthetic process. The anaesthetic process was divided into four endpoints; compliance when given premedication, sedation, compliance during needle insertion or when an anaesthetic mask was put in place and behaviour when put to sleep. METHODS: A total of 102 children who were undergoing day-stay surgery and overnight stay surgery were video-filmed during premedication and anaesthetic induction. Before premedication the children and parents answered questionnaires about behaviour [Preschool Behaviour Check List (PBCL)] and fears [Fears Survey Schedule for Children-Revised (FSSC-R)]. The films were analysed to assess behaviour before and after premedication and during induction of anaesthesia. A semistructured interview was conducted with the parents during the time the children were asleep. RESULTS: There was a significantly higher odds ratio for noncompliant behaviour during premedication if the child placed itself in the parent's lap or near the parent or had previously experienced traumatic hospital events. The odds ratio for not being sedated by premedication was higher if compliance was low when premedication was given or the child had experienced a traumatic hospital event in the past. A high odds ratio for noncompliant behaviour during venous access or placement of an anaesthetic mask was seen if the child was not sedated or the child had had a negative reaction when vaccinated. The odds ratio for falling asleep in an anxious or upset state was higher if the child had shown noncompliant behaviour during premedication, had not been sedated or had shown noncompliant behaviour during venous access or facemask placement. CONCLUSIONS: The overall most important factor that predicts noncompliant behaviour and a distressed state in the child during the anaesthetic process was the experience of earlier traumatic hospital events including negative reaction to vaccination. All elements of the process are important in determining what will happen and all steps will influence how the child reacts when put to sleep.     

Should parents be present and assist during inhalational induction of their child? A survey of the APA

Introduction During the entire peri‐operative period the most stressful procedure a child experiences is the induction of anaesthesia ( 1 ). In our experience it may often be the fear of a stranger holding a mask over the child's face that precipitates the child attempting to escape. We have found that some children will more readily accept the facemask if it is held by the familiar parent/carer rather than a trained stranger. This can reduce the stress the child experiences at induction. The aim of this survey was to determine a consensus view from UK paediatric anaesthetic consultants regarding their practice of involving parents in inhalational induction of children. Methods A postal questionnaire was sent to all UK members of the APA. The results of replies were analysed. Results The response rate was 64% (141/220). (4 retired members returned blank questionnaires). 51.8% (65/137) said that they would sometimes allow parents to hold the facemask where appropriate. 41.6% (57/137) of respondents have never allowed it and 6.6% (9/137) stated that they routinely allow it. Six respondents said that the concept had never occurred to them. Two of these six expressed an interest in trying this option in future practice. 79.6% (109/137) of responding APA members report that they have always been comfortable with controlled parental presence in the anaesthetic room. 62 of these 109 members have routinely or sometimes allowed these parents to assist in holding the facemask, quoting both a general reduction in child and parental anxiety in a stressful and alien environment allowing a smoother induction. 20.4% (28/137) said that during their consultant paediatric anaesthetic career their views towards parental presence and involvement during induction had changed. The majority of these respondents (22) said that they were more likely to involve the parents and a minority (six) stated that their views had become more negative and found their presence and involvement ‘rarely of help’ and ‘more trouble than it's worth'. 32% (44/137) reported having experienced a variety of critical incidents whilst involving parents in induction. 61 incidents were reported (17 respondents experienced more than one type of critical incident). Parents refusing to let go of their child once asleep was the most common problem (28/61), followed by parents fainting in the anaesthetic room during their childs induction (25/61). Six consultants said that they had experienced a child becoming cyanosed at induction and two reported a laryngospasm. Overview The results of the survey show that the majority of responding APA members have always had (109/137), or have developed (22/137), positive views towards parental presence and assistance, where appropriate. The remaining 6 respondents expressed a fear of relinquishing control of the airway to an untrained person and in particular to one who is emotionally involved with the patient, although there were few reports of significant desaturation or laryngospasm. Of these six, three members said that involving the parent made induction slower and more demanding. The other three members stated that involving parents was unnecessary and inappropriate as they did not have the FRCA, and that this practice may as well lead to parents injecting propofol and performing regional blocks on their child! Discussion The majority of responses to this survey indicate that there is already an environment within paediatric anaesthesia which accepts managed parental presence, with or without assistance at induction, yielding benefits for both parent and child if not always for the anaesthetist. It is possible that the failure of recent studies to show a benefit of parental presence, may be explained by the inclusion of data reflecting unmanaged parents who transmit their anxiety to their child, or the effects of the lack of an active, well briefed parental role ( 2 - 4 ). The issue which may require more investigation is that of how to manage the roles available to parents in varying states of anxiety balanced with the preoperative state of their child and the demands placed on the anaesthetist to control risk, thus maximising the real and perceived benefits available.     

Parents and paediatric anaesthesia: a prospective survey of parental attitudes to their presence at induction.

Parental presence at induction of anaesthesia is controversial and of disputed value. Ninety out of 117 parents replied to a preoperative questionnaire designed to identify their preference and motivation with regard to accompanying their children to the anaesthetic room. Half the parents wished to be present at induction, irrespective of the child's age or previous surgical experience and the most commonly cited reasons for this were the child's anxiety or the parents' sense of duty; 32% of these parents changed their preference if their child were to be adequately sedated preoperatively. In addition, 18% of all parents felt that they would prefer not to be present at induction. The results suggest that in circumstances where parents are to be excluded from induction, adequate preoperative explanation and sedative premedication would contribute to allaying parental anxiety, but that a flexible policy may be most appropriate.     

Oral midazolam premedication for day case breast surgery, a randomised prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study

We conducted a randomised prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy of oral midazolam premedication in 50 ASA I and II female patients scheduled to undergo day case breast surgery. Anxiety was assessed using 100-mm visual analogue scales (VAS) and The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) psychometric questionnaire. Midazolam premedication did not significantly reduce either VAS or STAI score, although heart rate and systolic arterial pressure immediately before induction of anaesthesia were significantly lower in patients who received midazolam (p = 0.006 and 0.039, respectively). Induction of anaesthesia was achieved with a lower dose of propofol (p = 0.0009) and excellent (Grade I) conditions for insertion of a laryngeal mask airway were achieved more often after midazolam premedication (p = 0.038). Arterial desaturation during induction of anaesthesia and insertion of a laryngeal mask airway occurred more often in patients who received placebo (p = 0.022). There was a good correlation between VAS and STAI used to assess the anxiolytic effects of premedication. (Spearman coefficient 0.58, p < 0.0001).     

Preoperative parental information and parents' presence at induction of anaesthesia

Preoperative preparation of paediatric patients and their environment in order to prevent anxiety is an important issue in paediatric anaesthesia. Anxiety in paediatric patients may lead to immediate negative postoperative responses. When a child undergoes surgery, information about the child's anaesthesia must be provided to parents who are responsible for making informed choices about healthcare on their child's behalf. A combination of written, pictorial, and verbal information would improve the process of informed consent. The issue of parental presence during induction of anaesthesia has been a controversial topic for many years. Potential benefits from parental presence at induction include reducing or avoiding the fear and anxiety that might occur in both the child and its parents, reducing the need for preoperative sedatives, and improving the child's compliance even if other studies showed no effects on the anxiety and satisfaction level. The presence of other figures such as clowns in the operating room, together with one of the child's parents, is an effective intervention for managing child and parent anxiety during the preoperative period.     

Assessment of risk factors for emergence distress and postoperative behavioural changes in children following general anaesthesia

BACKGROUND: Emergence distress commonly occurs in children recovering from the immediate effects of general anaesthesia. This study was performed to (1) examine whether parental presence in the operating room during emergence from anaesthesia reduces the incidence or severity of emergence distress behaviour, and (2) assess psychosocial risk factors, including child temperament and sleep behaviour, for development of emergence distress. METHODS: A randomized and controlled trial of parental presence at emergence was conducted in 100 ASA class I and II children having general anaesthesia for inguinal or penile surgery. Children in the study group had a parent present at induction and emergence of anaesthesia, while children in the control group had a parent present only at induction. Emergence and postanaesthesia care unit (PACU) behaviour was monitored using both the Operating Room Behaviour Rating Scale (ORBRS) and a 7-point Likert type cooperation scale. RESULTS: One-way anovas showed no significant differences between the control group and the study group on emergence distress behaviour. The frequency of negative postoperative behavioural changes at 1 and 4 weeks postsurgery was low in both groups. Children described as clingy/dependent (chi2 = 5.57, P < 0.06) and children with frequent temper tantrums (chi2 = 7.44, P < 0.02) were more likely to have emergence distress behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Parental presence during emergence from anesthesia did not decrease the incidence or severity of emergence distress behaviour in children. Young children and children with a history of temper tantrums or separation anxiety may be more likely to develop such behaviour.     

Distress during the induction of anesthesia and postoperative behavioral outcomes.

We determined whether children who are extremely anxious during the induction of anesthesia are more at risk of developing postoperative negative behavioral changes compared with children who appear calm during the induction process. Children (n = 91) aged 1-7 yr scheduled for general anesthesia and elective outpatient surgery were recruited. Using validated measures of preoperative anxiety and postoperative behaviors, children were evaluated during the induction of general anesthesia and on Postoperative Days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14. Using a multivariate logistic regression model, in which the dependent variable was the presence or absence of postoperative negative behavioral changes and the independent variables included several potential predictors, we demonstrated that anxiety of the child, time after surgery, and type of surgical procedure were predictors for postoperative maladaptive behavior. The frequency of negative postoperative behavioral changes decreased with time after surgery, and the frequency of negative postoperative behavioral changes increased when the child exhibited increased anxiety during the induction of anesthesia. Finally, we found a significant correlation (r) of 0.42 (P = 0.004) between the anxiety of the child during induction and the excitement score on arrival to the postanesthesia care unit. We conclude that children who are anxious during the induction of anesthesia have an increased likelihood of developing postoperative negative behavioral changes. We recommend that anesthesiologists advise parents of children who are anxious during the induction of anesthesia of the increased likelihood that their children will develop postoperative negative behavioral changes such as nightmares, separation anxiety, and aggression toward authority. IMPLICATIONS: Anesthesiologists who care for children who are anxious during the induction of anesthesia should inform parents that these children have an increased likelihood of developing postoperative negative behavioral changes.     

Benzodiazepine premedication may attenuate the stress response in daycase anesthesia: a pilot study

PURPOSE: Patients undergoing daycase surgery suffer from varying degrees of fear and anxiety. There is conflicting evidence in the literature regarding the benefit of benzodiazepine premedication in daycase surgery. We carried out a prospective, double-blind, randomized pilot study investigating the effect of benzodiazepine premedication on the stress response in patients undergoing daycase anesthesia and surgery. METHODS: Group I (n = 16) received diazepam 0.1 mg*kg(-1) orally 60 min preoperatively; Group II (n = 15) received diazepam 0.1 mg*kg(-1) orally 90 min preoperatively; Group III (n = 30) received a placebo. The stress response was measured by analyzing urinary catecholamine and cortisol levels and by scoring anxiety levels using state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) scores and visual analogue scores (VAS). RESULTS: Anxiety scores (VAS and STAI scores) were not different between groups. We found a statistically significant reduction in urinary cortisol and noradrenaline levels in the groups receiving diazepam vs placebo. DISCUSSION: The reduction in stress hormones following diazepam premedication, in patients undergoing daycase surgery may support the role for benzodiazepine premedication in this setting. However, further studies are warranted to determine the clinical significance of these findings.     

Oral midazolam premedication for paediatric day case patients

Forty-nine children having day-stay surgical procedures were randomly assigned to receive oral midazolam 0.75 mg·kg^?1 or placebo in a double blind fashion. The child's level of anxiety was assessed before premedication using parental, child and observer scales. The child and observer anxiety scores were repeated in the anaesthetic room. Most children presented for anaesthesia in a calm state, irrespective of whether they had received midazolam. Parents tended to overestimate their child's level of anxiety. Observer anxiety scores reliably predicted behaviour during induction of anaesthesia in the absence of a sedative. Observer scores decreased in the midazolam group (P<0.02), but not in the placebo group, children below six years having the greatest decrease with midazolam. The median time to discharge from hospital was delayed by 30 min in the midazolam group (P<0.01). Children do not require routine sedative premedication for day case procedures, but oral midazolam is useful in producing calm behaviour in those children with high observer anxiety scores.     

Parental Presence during Induction of Anesthesia versus Sedative Premedication: Which Intervention Is More Effective?

Background: Both midazolam and parental presence during induction of anesthesia are routinely used to treat preoperative anxiety in children. The purpose of this investigation was to determine which of these two interventions is more effective.

Methods: Anxiety of the child during the perioperative period was the primary end point. Secondary end points included anxiety of the parent and compliance of the child during induction. Children (n = 88) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) 0.5 mg/kg oral midazolam; (2) parental presence during induction of anesthesia; or (3) control (no parental presence or premedication). Using multiple behavioral measures of anxiety, the effect of the intervention on the children and their parents was assessed.

Results: Observed anxiety in the holding area (T1), entrance to the operating room (T2), and introduction of the anesthesia mask (T3) differed significantly among the three groups (P = 0.032). Post hoc analysis indicated that children in the midazolam group exhibited significantly less anxiety compared with the children in the parental-presence group or control group (P = 0.0171). Similarly, parental anxiety scores after separation were significantly less in the midazolam group compared with the parental-presence or control groups (P = 0.048). The percentage of inductions in which compliance of the child was poor was significantly greater in the control group compared with the parental-presence and midazolam groups (25% vs. 17% vs. 0%, P = 0.013).