Abstract Background: Hospitalisation and surgery are undoubtedly among the most challenging experiences a child and their parents must face. The aim is to assess preoperative anxiety in paediatric patients at two stages: in the preoperative area (T1) and at the time of induction (T2), and to describe various factors associated with anxiety in paediatric patients, including the impact of parental anxiety. Methods: This prospective observational study included children aged between 2 and 12 years undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia. The Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale short form (mYPAS-SF), a validated observational tool, was used to assess anxiety in paediatric patients at both T1 and T2 stages. Parent anxiety was also evaluated at T1 and T2 using the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) tool. Results: Younger age is associated with significant anxiety at both T1 and T2 stages. The mean (SD) mYPAS-SF scores at T1 and T2 were 46.36 ± 16.21 and 52.48 ± 16.16, respectively ( P < 0.001). The mean (SD) STAI scores of parents at T1 and T2 were 51.92 ± 6.38 and 56.82 ± 7.17, respectively ( P < 0.001). No correlation was found between parental anxiety and the child’s anxiety. The mean mYPAS-SF score (during induction) is significantly higher in cases who underwent inhalation anaesthesia compared to those who received intravenous anaesthesia ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Perioperative paediatric anxiety is multifactorial and should be addressed in both children and parents, with preoperative preparation using various nonpharmacological methods tailored to the child’s psychosocial and emotional development.
Pradip et al. (Sat,) studied this question.