Pediatric Anesthesia Research Paper

Pediatric Anesthesia:

Potential risks for children and solutions to minimize complications

Audience: Hospital Administrators

Stefenie Stocks

Arizona State University Pediatric Anesthesia:

Potential risks for children and solutions to minimize complications

Anesthesia in the pediatric setting has dramatically increased over the past few decades, causing new public interest regarding its prevalence use and how it affects children. Recent experimental studies conducted on children and animals have found that there is a correlation between use of anesthesia on children and behavioral implications. Since many procedures can be completed without general anesthesia, using it only increases exposure and risk. Finding additional ways to

One of these recent studies, conducted by the Department of Anesthesia at Assiut University in Egypt, focused on the implications on children between 1.5-5 years in age. The cohort consisted of 70 children in a same day surgery unit who were to receive 0.5 mg of anesthesia, 20-30 minutes prior to the procedure. Thirty-five of the children selected had received two prior general anesthesia treatments but were free from chronic illness (study group), while the remaining 35 selected were matched in age and had no prior anesthesia exposure of medical conditions (control group) (Bakria, Ismail, Ali, Elsedfy, Sayed, & Ibrahim, 2015 ). Following the procedure, children were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Scores revealed that "children with repeated anesthesia were at risk to become anxious or depressed, to have sleep problems, and attention problems when compared to the control group" (Bakria et al., 2015, p. 4). Additional studies allude that children who are exposed to 2 or more extended periods of anesthesia are more likely to demonstrate later learning disabilities (Kuehn, 2011). These findings suggest that there is a connection between repeated exposure to anesthesia and behavioral affects. Critique of Current

Hiring a Child Life Specialist to work with pediatrics and be present during imaging sessions or non-invasive procedures, in place of using anesthesia, can limit a child 's exposure and aid in emotional health.

Child Life Specialists understand the different emotional and cognitive stages of children, and can better prepare them and their family members for procedures based on developmental and cultural needs (Brewer et al., 2006). Several studies have shown that "children who received preparation, rehearsal, and supportive care were significantly less distressed and more cooperative" during procedures (Brewer et al., 2006, p. 14). Likewise, parents were more pleased with their hospital experience when questions were answered, misconceptions were alleviated, and attentive care was given. (Brewer et al.,