Background:
Preoperative anxiety has a significant impact on many pediatric surgery patients annually. This study aimed to evaluate the preoperative anxiety scores as predictors of postoperative outcomes in children undergoing cardiac surgery.
Subjects and Methods:
This cohort study involved 133 children between the ages of 2 and 6 years who underwent cardiac surgery. Preoperative anxiety was evaluated using the happy, relaxed, anxious, distressed scale (HRAD±), Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS), and Induction Compliance Checklist (ICC) scores. Emergence agitation (EA) was assessed using the Watcha scale at 30 min intervals during the initial 4 h period and again at 24 h. The study’s primary outcome was the correlation between the HRAD± score and postoperative agitation. Secondary outcomes included the correlation between each of the mYPAS and ICC scores and postoperative agitation, as well as the incidence and severity of postoperative agitation.
Results:
Anxiety was observed in 70.68% of patients. The mean mYPAS score increased after separation, entering the operating room, and during induction of anesthesia compared to the holding area (49.3 ± 5.27, 51.7 ± 4.98, 63.4 ± 5.8 vs. 36.7 ± 4.6). There were significant positive associations between postoperative agitation and preoperative agitation scores, including HRAD±, mYPAS, and ICC scores (P < 0.001). The incidence and severity of EA were high at 0.5 h and then decreased over 24 h postoperatively.
Conclusion:
Preoperative HRAD±, mYPAS, and ICC scores may predict postoperative agitation in children undergoing cardiac surgery.