Why Must I Suffer?

Surgery for many children can be a stressful experience. For over sixty years, clinical researchers have observed significant emotional reactions in young children. For example, Eckenhoff (1953) look at six hundred children to discover a link between “unsatisfactory” anesthetic inductions and a change in a child’s personality. In the United States, approximately four million children undergo anesthesia and surgery (Kain and Caldwell-Andrews, 2005). Some people believe that an average of forty to sixty percent of children experience anxiety. Anxiety is expressed in many ways for children. For instance becoming agitated breathing deeply, trembling, crying, stop talking, etc. From high anxiety up to twenty-five percent of children requires physical restraint to help with anesthetic induction.

It appears anesthesia is the most stressful period during preoperative period. “Preoperative anxiety is anxiety associated with a particular event – surgery.” This is not to be associated with anxiety as children would have a greater response such as waking up, crying, disobeying parents, separation anxiety, etc. In order to reduce the results of children with anxiety, a number of prevention strategies have been “employed.” A drug has proven to be effective in reducing anxiety, Midazolam, a benzodiazepine and amnestic properties. At the same time the Midazolam has side effects such as delay on emergence behavioral changes and amnesia. In 1998, a US Food and Drug Administration approved of Midazolam in syrup in the form of 2 mg/mL. Although over time 0.50 mg/kg is the most effective dose amount with few side effects.
Another method to help reduce preoperative anxiety is music therapy. Kain, Caldwell-Andrews, Krivutza, Weinberg, Gaal, and colleagues (2004) found that children that undergone music therapy before and after surgery was less anxious. At the same time, hypnosis can reduce anxiousness in children. Furthermore, hypnosis has been found to reduce maladaptive behavioral. Hypnosis, also, allows children to go to participate in the induction experience in a relax state of mind.

Still a big debate faced by hospital across America is allowing parents to be present when treating or preventing preoperative anxiety. In 2003 “Kain, Caldwell-Andrews, Wang, and colleagues” observed that eighty percent of parents wanted to be present because they felt their presence would be a benefit (Wright, Kristi et al, 61). In 2002 twenty-six percent of hospital surveyed had a formal policy about parental presence during induction (Krivutza et al., 61). I can see why a hospital would not want a parent to present before a child goes into surgery. Since I was a child, I have been deathly afraid of needles. Just a regular check-up would make me cringe at the thought of the doctor giving me a shot. Every time I did get a shot my mom was present and by the time I was in high school I still would want my mom to be there with me in the doctor’s office. By having my mom constantly coming with me to the doctor’s office made me depended on her instead of realizing there is nothing to fear.

Even though I now go to the doctor’s office by myself, I still get nervous when it comes to getting a shot. Take for instance this year I need to get my wisdom teeth taken out. This is not major surgery, but when I first heard that all four of my wisdom teeth would be taken out some new fears arise. My dentist said that they needed to cut into my gums before my wisdom teeth start to push against my other teeth because my mouth is too small to hold all my teeth. That is why I was drawn to this article. This article realizes that major procedures can have a lasting affect on children, but if action is taken at a young age the anxiety felt before and after surgery can be reduced.

Source
Wright, Kristi D., Sherry H. Stewart, G. Allen Finley and Susan E. Buffett-Jerrott. “Prevention and Intervention Strategies to Alleviate Preoperative Anxiety in Children: A Critical Review.” Behavior Modification. 31.1 (2007): 52-79. http://bmo.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/31/1/52.