Preoperative informational video reduces preoperative anxiety and postoperative negative behavioral changes in children.

BACKGROUND: Anesthesia and surgery can lead to major distress for children. Sedative premedication and preoperative preparation techniques are available to reduce preoperative anxiety in children. We aimed to assess the effect of informational video based on role-play modelling on preoperative anxiety and postoperative behavior changes in children undergoing surgery. METHODS: Forty-two children aged 5-12 years, with American Society of Anesthesiologist physical status I-II, scheduled for elective outpatient surgery, were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly allocated to one group with or without information video presentation. In group V, patients watched the information video (N.=21). Other children were verbally informed in a standard care (group C, N.=21). We recorded patient's demographics (age, birth order, surgery time, surgery type, history of previous surgery, parent's age, parental working status, parental education level), the preoperative anxiety level using Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (MYPAS) and at 1 week after discharge, new developing postoperative maladaptive behaviors (POMB) using the Post Hospitalization Behavioral Questionnaire by telephone interview. RESULTS: Patient's demographics were similar in both groups. Total MYPAS scores were found to be lower in group V as compared to group C P=0.0001). Difficulty getting to sleep, nocturnal enuresis, fear of dark, to object to go to bed at night and decreased appetite of new developing POMB were found to be lower in group V than group C. We also found a correlation between anxiety scores and POMB. CONCLUSIONS: The presentation of an informational video based on model making reduces preoperative anxiety at the time of placement of the facemask and postoperative negative behavioral changes in children.

Epidemiological and cost analysis of self-poisoning cases in ankara, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Poisoning is a global public health problem. Self-poisoning has potentially serious consequences. Follow-up studies have found that 3-10% of self-harm patients eventually succeed. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the epidemiological, clinical and economical aspects of deliberate self-poisoning patients admitted to Yenimahalle State Hospital Intensive Care Unit. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out retrospectively in Ankara Yenimahalle State Hospital. It included Seventy-one patients over 16 years of age who were admitted to the hospital due to poisoning during 2012. Exposed poisons were classified into one of three categories; pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and alcohols. Cost account was based on the medical invoices at patient discharge. Data were compared using Student's T test and chi-square test. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The female/male ratio was 2.55. The mean age of the 71 poisoned patients was 28.92 ± 11.51 years. Most of the poisoning agents were pharmaceuticals (68 cases). Among the pharmaceuticals, antidepressants were involved most often, followed by analgesics. There was no statistically significant difference between pharmaceutical agents in terms of hospital cost (P > 0.05). The mean length of hospital stay was 6.4 ± 4.3 days. There was a statistically significant difference between the lengths of stay of patients in terms of hospital cost (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The patient cost increased as the length of stay increased due to the policy of bundle pricing.