A Comparative Study on Effectiveness of Parental Presence versus Sedative Premedication for Reducing Anxiety in Children Undergoing General Anesthesia.

Background: Preoperative anxiety is an important, yet often unattended problem in children. Minimizing anxiety and distress at the time of anesthetic induction may reduce adverse psychological and physiological outcomes. Sedative premedication and parental presence during anesthesia induction are among the most commonly employed strategies for reducing child anxiety.

Aims and objective: The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a pharmacological intervention (premedication with midazolam) versus behavioral intervention (parental presence) in reducing preoperative anxiety in children undergoing general anesthesia.

Methodology: Sixty patients of age group of 4-12 years, of ASA Grade 1 and 2 and either sex posted for elective surgery under general anesthesia were divided into two groups of 30 each Group M (midazolam group) and Group P (parental presence). Group M received intravenous midazolam 0.03-0.05 mg/kg preoperatively and anxiety was measured in preoperative room, during separation from parents and during introduction of anesthesia mask, whereas in Group P, parents accompanied the child inside the operation theater and anxiety was measured at preoperative room and during introduction of mask. Parental anxiety was measured in both groups at preoperative room and waiting room. Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) tool was used to measure anxiety in children and parents, respectively.

Results: The mean mYPAS score while the introduction of anesthesia mask in Group M was 31.30 ± 12.04 and in Group P was 63.19 ± 25.31, and the difference was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.001). In preoperative room, there was no significant difference in anxiety in the two study groups. The mean STAI score in Group P was 45.63 ± 1.45 and in Group M was 41.10 ± 1.69, and the difference was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.001). In preoperative room, parental anxiety was found to be comparable among the two groups. The mean duration of induction of anesthesia in Group M was 5.53 ± 1.01 min, and in Group P, it was 8.77 ± 2.03 min. The difference was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.001).

Conclusion: Both interventions were effective in reducing anxiety in children, but midazolam was more effective compared to parental presence. Parents in Group M were less anxious in the waiting room than Group P. Children in Group M were more compliant during the induction of anesthesia, hence a lesser duration of induction than Group P.