Children’s play after anaesthesia and surgery: background factors and associations to behaviour during anaesthetic induction

Abstract

Children can experience anaesthetic induction as fearful and frightening and this can lead to postoperative behaviour changes and symptoms of high anxiety. A fearful experience can also lead to avoidant reactions due to raised negative emotions in situations similar to that, which evoked the fear. To analyse children’s reactions after anaesthesia to anaesthetic play equipment, 49 children (three—six years old) were video-filmed during play with anaesthetic equipment 14 days after anaesthesia and surgery. The risk that the child avoided playing with anaesthetic equipment was increased if the child took the premedication unwillingly and if the child was younger. The risk for not telling about the experience was increased if the child took the premedication unwillingly and if the child showed signs of shyness. The risk for telling mostly unspecific memories increased if the child was younger and if the child showed signs of shyness. Avoidant reactions could bee seen in 50 percent of the children. It is important to be aware of the characteristics of a vulnerable child (age, shyness) and to meet the child without raising negative emotions in any part of the anaesthetic process, in order to avoid negative reactions in future encounters.