Day Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Preoperative Anxiety, Preoperative Fear
Conditions
Keywords
Preschool Children, Operating Room Transport, Battery-Powered Ride-on Car, Stretcher Transport, Preoperative Anxiety, Preoperative Fear, Non-pharmacological Intervention, Pediatric Surgery, Day Surgery
Brief summary
Preoperative anxiety and fear are common among preschool children undergoing surgery and may negatively affect perioperative cooperation and postoperative recovery. This study aims to evaluate the effects of three different operating room transport methods (walking with a parent, stretcher transport, and battery-powered ride-on car transport) on preoperative anxiety and fear levels in preschool children undergoing day surgery. The findings are expected to contribute to the development of child-friendly, non-pharmacological interventions to improve the perioperative experience of children.
Detailed description
Preoperative anxiety is frequently observed in preschool children undergoing surgical procedures. The unfamiliar hospital environment, separation from parents, and fear of anesthesia and surgery may increase children's anxiety and fear before surgery. Elevated preoperative anxiety has been associated with poor cooperation during anesthesia induction, increased postoperative pain, maladaptive behavioral changes, and delayed recovery. Several non-pharmacological interventions have been developed to reduce children's anxiety before surgery. Among these, distraction techniques and child-friendly environmental modifications have shown promising results. Transporting children to the operating room using battery-powered ride-on cars has recently emerged as an innovative distraction strategy that may transform the transport process into a playful experience. This controlled study aims to compare three different operating room transport methods in preschool children undergoing elective day surgery: routine transport by walking with a parent, transport by stretcher, and transport using a battery-powered ride-on car. Preoperative anxiety and fear will be assessed using validated pediatric assessment tools before surgery. The study findings may provide evidence for the effectiveness of child-friendly transport methods in reducing preoperative anxiety and fear and support the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions in pediatric surgical care.
Interventions
PROCEDUREOperating Room Transport by Walking with Parent
Participants are transported to the operating room by walking with a parent according to the hospital's routine practice.
PROCEDUREOperating Room Transport by Stretcher
Participants are transported to the operating room using a stretcher.
PROCEDUREOperating Room Transport by Battery-Powered Ride-on Car
Participants are transported to the operating room using an age-appropriate battery-powered ride-on car accompanied by the researcher.
Sponsors
Ege University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Intervention model description
Participants are assigned to one of three parallel groups. The intervention consists of transportation to the operating room by walking with a parent, stretcher, or battery-powered ride-on car. Preoperative anxiety and fear are compared between groups.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
3 Years to 6 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Children aged 3-6 years (36-72 months) * Scheduled to undergo elective surgery in the Department of Pediatric Surgery * Able to communicate appropriately for their age * Have sufficient cognitive development to respond to the study assessment scales * Child and parent/legal guardian are able to speak and understand Turkish * Written informed consent obtained from the child's legal guardian (and child assent obtained when appropriate)
Exclusion criteria
* Presence of visual, hearing, or communication impairments that could interfere with study participation * Receipt of premedication requiring sedation due to an emergency condition * Presence of severe pain that could affect anxiety assessment before surgery * Inability to safely use the battery-powered ride-on car because of physical or mobility limitations before surgery * Withdrawal of consent by the child's legal guardian or the child's unwillingness to continue participation
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Preoperative Anxiety Level | Immediately before transfer to the operating room (preoperative period). | Preoperative anxiety levels will be assessed using the Children's Anxiety Scale-State (CAS-S), a visual thermometer-like scale with scores ranging from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate higher levels of state anxiety. Scores will be compared among preschool children transported to the operating room by walking with a parent, stretcher, or battery-powered ride-on car. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Preoperative Fear Level | Immediately before transfer to the operating room (preoperative period) | Preoperative fear levels will be assessed using the Children's Fear Scale (CFS), which consists of five facial expressions and is scored from 0 to 4. A score of 0 indicates no fear, while a score of 4 indicates severe fear. Higher scores indicate higher levels of fear. Scores will be compared among preschool children transported to the operating room by walking with a parent, stretcher, or battery-powered ride-on car. |
Contacts
CONTACTİlayda Tekelioğlu
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORNurdan Akçay Didişen, PhD
Ege University
Outcome results
None listed