Pre-op workshop cuts post-op maladaptive behaviors in kids

(HealthDay)—A preoperative preparation workshop can reduce postoperative maladaptive behaviors (POMBs) in children, according to a study published online June 12 in Pediatric Anesthesia.

Julie Hilly, M.D., from Paris Diderot University, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study to examine whether a family-centered preoperative preparation workshop can reduce the incidence of POMB and preoperative anxiety. Twenty-seven patients (aged 3 to 18 years) who attended the workshop were compared with 26 patients who did not attend and were matched for age and type of surgery.

The researchers identified significant differences between the groups in POMB intensity (Post-Hospital Behavior Questionnaire [PHBQ] score, 2 versus 5; P = 0.008) and incidence (PHBQ score >6 3.6 versus 35.7 percent; P = 0.003). There was also a significant difference between the groups in the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale score (28 versus 37; P = 0.015).

"In conclusion, our study found that preoperative preparation in a workshop format employing scale models and figurines, and explanation about the perioperative experience significantly decreased the incidence of the postoperative maladaptive behaviors on postoperative day seven," the authors write. "Our finding, which suggests that a preoperative preparatory workshop can decrease POMBs, would best be confirmed in a prospective randomized controlled trial."