Abstract
Background: Preoperative information to childrenoften fails to respect the child's age and ability tounderstand the message thus causing anxiety tothe child and leaving it with no effective copingstrategy. In addition, the parents need to enhancetheir knowledge about anaesthesia to assist staffproviding supportive preoperative information tochildren.
Aims: To explore the importance of a newpreoperative information programme associated tothe children's age, skills and the family resources.
To document the close interaction between thechildren, staff and parents.
Method: A randomized controlled trial wherechildren between two and seven years of age andtheir parents are assigned to one of two groups: The control group receive standard care; and Theintervention group receive preoperative informationprogramme where anaesthesiologists and nurseanaesthetists are trained in children's behaviourand communication which support children's needsentering the operation room (OR) and initiationof the anaesthetic procedure. The interventionincludes a visit at OR for the children and the familyand information leaflet will be surrendered.
Results: Outcomes variables will be the satisfactionof parents, children's coping strategies in the ORand behaviour after surgery, and staff behaviour in relation to the children. Children's behaviour willbe measured on selected days after surgery andfollowed up six months after.
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Skovby, P., Aagaard, H. 1326 A New Approach to Preoperative Information of Children 2-7 Years Old at Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 655–656 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-01326
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-01326