The Impacts of Procedural Stress

Children often experience stress around medical procedures. High procedural stress can interfere with the quality or outcome of a procedure and the ease with which it is accomplished. High, unmanaged procedural stress is also associated with more pain, longer recovery times, behavioral disturbances, and increased procedural stress and fear about future medical procedures. Both malleable and nonmalleable factors are predictive of children’s procedural stress, as well as their use of coping behaviors. While nonmalleable factors cannot be changed at the time of the procedure, the presence of such factors can alert healthcare providers to children in need of support. Many well-researched strategies are available to target malleable predictors and thereby mitigate procedural stress, such as adequate preparation for both children and parents, and effective use of coping behaviors. Implementation of such strategies can facilitate optimal procedure completion and foster a positive medical experience for children, thereby giving them greater confidence for future medical encounters.