Anxiety, hospital fears and conduct and behavioral alterations during pediatric hospitalization.

INTRODUCTION: A hospital admission is an experience capable of generating emotional and behavioral alterations at any age. This study pretends to analyze the response of anxiety, fears and/or behavioral alterations in pediatric patients exposed to a conventional non-surgical hospital admission and the existing relationship between these responses and certain modulating variables. Metodology. Design of cohorts. Data collection was carried out in three stages (M1: at admission; M2: at discharge; M3: 2 weeks after discharge), on a 30 patient sample between the ages of 6 to 15 years and 30 caregivers. A comparison was made on the mean of the repeated measurements (Student t) of the respond variables and their correlation (Pearson’s Coefficient Correlation) with modulating variables. RESULTS: The results of the intra-subject analysis showed significance in terms of anxiety levels state in patients in M1 versus M3 (t=3.93, p<.0001, d=0.69) and the magnitude of the total behavioral alterations registered in M1 versus M3 (t=-5.02, p<.0001, d=0.60). It was observed that a significant relationship between modulating variables of patients (anxiety risk) and of the caregiver (anxiety character state, strategy of confrontation) and the variables of response of the anxiety and behavioral alterations of the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure of a conventional non-surgical hospital admission may have negative consequences at an emotional and behavioral level in children, present far beyond the hospital admission. Certain variables, from the patient and the caregiver, are psychological vulnerability factors before a hospitalization process.

Ansiedad, miedos hospitalarios y alteraciones conductuales en la hospitalización infantil / Anxiety, hospital fears and conduct and behavioral alterations during pediatric hospitalization

Introducción. El ingreso hospitalario es una experiencia susceptible de generar alteraciones emocionales o conductuales a cualquier edad. Este estudio pretende analizar la respuesta de ansiedad, miedos y/o alteraciones conductuales en pacientes pediátricos expuestos a un ingreso hospitalario convencional no quirúrgico y las relaciones existentes entre dichas respuestas y determinadas variables moduladoras. Metodología. Diseño de cohortes. La recogida de datos se realizó en tres momentos (M1: al ingreso; M2: al alta; M3: a las dos semanas del alta), sobre una muestra de 30 pacientes de 6 a 15 años y 30 cuidadores. Se realizó una comparación de medias de medidas repetidas (t de Student) de las variables de respuesta y su correlación (Coeficiente correlación de Pearson) con variables moduladoras. Resultados. Los resultados del análisis intrasujeto muestran significación en cuanto a los niveles de ansiedad estado del paciente en M1 versus M3 (t=3.93, p<0.0001, d=0.69) y la magnitud de alteraciones conductuales totales registradas en M1 versus M3 (t=-5.02, p<0.0001, d=0.60). Se objetivó relación significativa positiva entre variables moduladoras del paciente (ansiedad rasgo) y del cuidador (ansiedad rasgo-estado, estrategias de afrontamiento) y las variables de respuesta de ansiedad y alteraciones conductuales del paciente. Conclusiones. La exposición a una hospitalización convencional no quirúrgica puede producir consecuencias negativas a nivel emocional y conductual en el niño, presentes más allá del ingreso hospitalario. Determinadas variables, del paciente y del cuidador, son factores de vulnerabilidad psicológica ante el proceso de hospitalización

Introduction. A hospital admission is an experience capable of generating emotional and behavioral alterations at any age. This study pretends to analyze the response of anxiety, fears and/or behavioral alterations in pediatric patients exposed to a conventional non-surgical hospital admission and the existing relationship between these responses and certain modulating variables. Metodology. Design of cohorts. Data collection was carried out in three stages (M1: at admission; M2: at discharge; M3: 2 weeks after discharge), on a 30 patient sample between the ages of 6 to 15 years and 30 caregivers. A comparison was made on the mean of the repeated measurements (Student t) of the respond variables and their correlation (Pearson's Coefficient Correlation) with modulating variables. Results. The results of the intra-subject analysis showed significance in terms of anxiety levels state in patients in M1 versus M3 (t=3.93, p<.0001, d=0.69) and the magnitude of the total behavioral alterations registered in M1 versus M3 (t=-5.02, p<.0001, d=0.60). It was observed that a significant relationship between modulating variables of patients (anxiety risk) and of the caregiver (anxiety character state, constrategy of confrontation) and the variables of response of the anxiety and behavioral alterations of the patient. Conclusions. Exposure of a conventional non-surgical hospital admission may have negative consequences at an emotional and behavioral level in children, present far beyond the hospital admission. Certain variables, from the patient and the caregiver, are psychological vulnerability factors before a hospitalization process