Perioperative Pain and Anxiety Among Pediatric Patients Undergoing Surgery at selected Tertiary Care Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2026.v11.n03.023Keywords:
Perioperative pain, Anxiety, Pediatric patients, SurgeryAbstract
Perioperative pain and anxiety are common in children undergoing surgery, which can impair recovery, increase the need for analgesics, and cause behavioral changes. Providers must take a proactive approach to recognizing, evaluating, and anticipating pain in pediatric patients so they can implement effective management strategies tailored to the child’s needs throughout the surgical journey—before, during, and after the procedure. This study sought to assess pediatric patients' perioperative pain and anxiety at specific hospitals in Chennai, India. Methods: A descriptive design was used to assess the Intensity of perioperative pain and anxiety among 100 Pediatric patients undergoing surgery who were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data was collected using tools such as demographic variables proforma, The Wong-Baker Pain Rating Scale and Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale. Descriptive statistics were used to tabulate and analyze the data. Results: The results of the study revealed that nearly (27%) had mild pain, majority of the pediatric patients had moderate pain (52 %), and only 20% of them had severe pain and the mean score of pain was 5.01 ± 2.05. Regarding the preoperative anxiety, nearly half of the pediatric patients had moderate anxiety (50%), high anxiety (22%) and 13% had severe anxiety and the mean score of anxiety was 56.03 ± 16.88. The degree of pain was significantly associated with the chosen demographic factor, prior hospitalization history at p<0.05. Conclusion: Fear and anxiety is reduced when children are familiarized with procedures in advance. This would enable their cooperation throughout the procedure, lessen post-operative complications, and speed up recovery.
References
[1] Abbas, S. M., Mohammed, A. M., Khedr, H., & Zarif, P. (2024). Preoperative Anxiety Scores as Predictors of Postoperative Outcomes in Pediatrics Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: An Observational Study. Bali Journal of Anesthesiology, 8(3), 148-153. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/bjoa.bjoa_114_24
[2] Ahmed, M. I., Farrell, M. A., Parrish, K. A. T. I. E., & Karla, A. M. A. N. (2011). Preoperative anxiety in children risk factors and non-pharmacological management. Middle East J Anaesthesiol, 21(2), 153-164.
[3] Coca, K.K., Maroda, A.J., Williams, R.F., Head, T.A., Sheyn, A.M. (2021). Perioperative Analgesia and Pain Management in Pediatric Patients. In: Svider, P.F., Pashkova, A.A., Johnson, A.P. (eds) Perioperative Pain Control: Tools for Surgeons. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56081-2_17 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56081-2_17
[4] Davidson, B., Satchi, N. S., & Venkatesan, L. (2017). Effectiveness of play therapy upon anxiety among hospitalised children. International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology, 3(5), 441-444.
[5] Joselin, A. P., Jamuna Rani, R., & Venkatesan, L. (2017). Effectiveness of ice cube application upon pain perception of children during intra muscular injection. TNNMC Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 5(1), 13-16.
[6] Kanchana, G., Vijayalakshmi, K., & Merlin, A. (2024). Exploring Clinical Profiles, Patterns, and Outcomes of Heart Failure Patients in Selected Hospitals of Chennai: A Descriptive Study. RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 9(12), 216-227. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2024.v09.n12.027
[7] Kurniasari, E., & Agustini, N. (2021). Factors related to anxiety before surgery in children in urological operating rooms. La Pediatria Medica e Chirurgica, 43(s1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/pmc.2021.261
[8] Mathias, E. G., Pai, M. S., Kumar, V., Narayanakurup, D., & Malavika, V. G. (2020). Nurse assisted distraction strategies (NADS) on postoperative pain experience among children undergoing surgery: a study protocol. Prof.(Dr) RK Sharma, 20(4), 207. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37506/mlu.v20i4.1791
[9] McCann ME, Kain ZN. The management of preoperative anxiety in children: an update. Anesth Analg. 2001;93(1):98–105. doi:10.1097/00000539-200107000-0002211429348 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00000539-200107000-00022
[10] Rede, F. M., & Goshu, E. M. (2024). Severity and associated factors of postoperative pain in paediatric surgical patients aged 2 months–7 years at selected Addis Ababa Public Hospitals: a multicenter prospective longitudinal study. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 86(3), 1275-1282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000001742
[11] Satchi, N. S., & Sankar, J. (2017). Pain perception of children during venipuncture. International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology., 3(6), 1006-1009.
[12] ul Huda, A., Arif, A., & Asim, Z. (2023). Incidence of preoperative anxiety and associated features in children undergoing general anesthesia for a surgery in Middle East population. Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care, 27(5), 575-578. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35975/apic.v27i5.2314
