Anesthesia & Clinical Research
Open Access

Abstract

Preoperative Anxiety in Preschool Children-Observational Study

Joao Paulo Rema, Carla Cavaleiro, Pedro Pina and Humberto S Machado

Objectives: Pediatric preoperative anxiety (PPOA) has been a concerning matter for the past decades with a high prevalence and several adverse outcomes branching into social, developmental, behavioral and perioperative fields. The management of anxious children is a priority for minimizing PPOA of the upmost importance. The aim of the study was to assess the levels of preoperative anxiety and their relation to a group of selected variables in a pediatric population being submitted to ambulatory surgery under general anesthesia.
Methods: Children’s anxiety was assessed using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale-Short Version at the preoperative holding area (Time 1) and at the operation room during induction of anesthesia (Time 2). A cutoff value of 30 was used to differentiate anxious children from non-anxious children (scores ≤ 30). Results: 67 children were included in the study. 9 (13.4%) were anxious children at T1 and 24 (35.8%) at T2. A gender difference was not present (p=0.634 for T1, p=0.303 for T2), but the boys presented higher scores at both times and tend to have a significant increase from T1 to T2 (p=0.049). An overall change in the anxiety status from T1 to T2 does not tend to occur (p=0.01). Younger children tend to have higher scores although not statistically significant. No statistical significant difference was found between the remaining variables.
Conclusions: The prevalence of anxious children presented is lower than the estimated worldwide and reveals both the result of correct practices and best use of resources. However, the scarcity of national studies exploring this topic renders an indication to implement similar future studies, with larger samples and further studying of the potential predisposing and contributing variables. The never-ending purpose should be to institute more customized programs for minimizing PPOA by means of multimodal combinations of anxiolytic practices.