Factors affecting preoperative anxiety in children undergoing general anaesthesia for dental rehabilitation

Abstract

Aim: The primary aim was to examine anxiety levels, and to identify factors affecting preoperative anxiety among healthy children undergoing general anaesthesia for dental rehabilitation. A secondary aim was to assess parental distress and attitude to accompanying their children during this procedure.

Study design: Observational cross sectional study.

Methods: Anxiety levels of 118 children admitted to the Day Case unit of King Abdullah teaching hospital in Irbid, Jordan, for dental rehabilitation under general anaesthesia (GA) were assessed at different phases (before and during induction of GA) using the Global Mood Score (GMS) with parental presence. The effect of certain variables such as age, sex, reason for referral, past GA experience, accompanying parent, and parental distress, on children's anxiety during this procedure were assessed using multivariate analysis. The level of significance was <0.05. Parental distress and attitudes to accompanying their children were assessed using a structured questionnaire.

Results: There was a significant increase of child anxiety on GMS reaching its highest level in phase three (induction phase). A multivariate test (MANOVA) showed that previous experience of the child with GA, and reason for referral to dental rehabilitation under GA, significantly predicted child anxiety (P-value of 0.019 and 0.012) respectively. However, parental distress, accompanying person, age, and sex of the child, did not affect child anxiety. Parental distress was at its highest level in phase three, mothers were significantly more stressed than fathers and parental distress was significantly increased when a child was <5 years of age.

Conclusion: Factors contributing to increased child anxiety during induction of GA for dental rehabilitation were age, previous GA experience, and referral for GA at a very young age. Most parents, especially mothers, were distressed during the induction phase, therefore sufficient preoperative preparation of those children and parents is necessary to achieve best patient management.