Effect of video distraction on preoperative anxiety scores in pediatric patients undergoing general anesthesia in ophthalmic daycare procedures: A randomized controlled trial.

Background and Aims: Parental separation, fear, and exposure to the operating room environment lead to stress and anxiety in pediatric patients. This study aims to identify the research gaps in the effect of video distraction on pediatric patients of Indian origin. We hypothesized that video distraction along with parental presence would reduce preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing ophthalmic procedures under general anesthesia compared with parental presence alone. Material and Methods: In this prospective randomized trial, 145 patients aged 2-8 years, ASA I-II, with at least one functional eye undergoing elective ophthalmic daycare procedures were enrolled. They were randomly allocated to two Groups: Group V had distraction by watching a video/playing a video game together with parental presence, whereas control Group C had parental presence alone without any video distraction. The primary objective of the study was to compare preoperative anxiety using the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety score (mYPAS) and heart rate (HR), whereas the secondary objective was to compare child fear, emergence delirium, and parental satisfaction between the two groups. The three time points for intergroup comparisons were the preoperative holding area 10 min before induction (T0), transport of the child to the operating room (T1), and face mask introduction (T2). Results: There was a statistically significant difference between mYPAS score in groups V and C at all time points (P = 0.036, P = 0.0001, P = 0.0000), parental satisfaction score at all three time points (P = 0.0049, P = 0.0000, P = 0.0000), and Child Fear Score at T1 and T2 (P = 0.0001, P = 0.0001, respectively). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the emergence of delirium between the two groups. Conclusions: Video distraction together with parental presence has a promising role for implementation in hospitals with heavy workload settings where pharmacological intervention would not be feasible, to alleviate preoperative anxiety in children. However, preoperative anxiety may not translate into increased postoperative emergence delirium as was earlier believed.

Anaesthetic concerns of a child with symptomatic vitamin D deficiency rickets with secondary hyperparathyroidism: A case report.

Rickets is a paediatric bone disorder characterised by defective mineralisation of bony matrix due to abnormalities in calcium and phosphate metabolism. Despite being a common disease globally, literature on the anaesthetic concerns in rickets are scant. Herein, we describe the management of a 12-year-old child with symptomatic vitamin D deficiency rickets with secondary hyperparathyroidism, undergoing general anaesthesia for an urgent orthopaedic procedure. There are numerous risks involved in such a case, such as hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, chest and vertebral deformities, restrictive lung disease, difficult intubation and weaning, difficult regional anaesthesia, chronic bone pain, infectious complications and postoperative decreased renal function, all of which require careful preoperative assessment and risk stratification. In elective surgeries, it is important to optimise the metabolic parameters before taking up the case. However, in urgent and emergent procedures like ours, it is imperative to take up the case after informing the parents of the risks involved.

Anesthetic concerns of achondroplastic patients with hip movement restriction scheduled for retrograde intrarenal surgery: A case report.

Achondroplasia is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder that results in premature ossification of the epiphyseal growth plates and restriction of proximal long bone movement. Herein, we report the anesthetic management of such a patient undergoing stone retrieval in the lithotomy position. He had a restricted ability to flex and abduct the hip joint and lumbar hyperlordosis. These were anticipated to be a concern for the lithotomy position and prone to positional injuries. Hence, the decision was made to position the patient before induction of anesthesia in the presence of surgeons to ensure the optimal exposure needed for the procedure while avoiding any hyperflexion or abduction of the hip and knee joints. The position tolerated by the patient when awake and unsedated should be followed intraoperatively. Achondroplasia is also associated with difficult airway features, obesity, sleep apnea, and multisystem involvement. Careful preoperative evaluation and intraoperative vigilance are needed to manage these patients undergoing surgery.