Abracadabra, no more worries! magic as a pre-op calming tool: A qi project

This study investigates the efficacy of magic tricks as a non-pharmacologic intervention to reduce preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients aged 2–10 years. Elevated preoperative anxiety correlates with increased analgesic requirements and adverse postoperative behaviors, negatively impacting recovery and family satisfaction. The main calming tool used in this study was light-up thumb tricks with a magic wand to facilitate patient engagement. Anxiety was assessed using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) by two independent observers in perioperative settings -pre- and post-intervention. Mask compliance was measured using the Induction Compliance Checklist. Parent feedback was collected via a survey for data on patient and family experience. Patients included (n = 21) were children aged 2–10 years who underwent surgery or MRI at the author’s hospital that required mask induction and general anesthesia, spoke English, and did not receive premedication or have neurological or cognitive impairments. Average mYPAS score pre-intervention was 51.67 and 28.95 post-intervention, resulting in a 44.0% reduction (Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test with p < 0.001). Mask induction compliance showed 90% effectiveness. One hundred percent of the patients’ families who completed the survey (n = 20) would recommend the magic trick experience. Ninety-five percent of those families believed the magic tricks impacted their child’s emotional state positively before surgery. Additional PDSA cycles or research in the future would help better assess effectiveness. Overall, this QI project was successful and suggests a promising path for expanding such interventions to improve the hospital experience of children and their families.