Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a playroom next to the operating
room to reduce preoperative anxiety in children.
Methods and Materials: In 2009, we designed a playroom in a preoperative waiting room in our hospital. The
playroom had colored toys and cars appropriate for different ages and a TV and video
to show cartoons. Patients were randomly assigned into a case or a control group.
Control group patients were admitted to the preoperative waiting room 30 min prior
to operation. Case group patients were admitted to the playroom for the same period
of time. The anxiety levels of the children were compared using the modified Yale
Preoperative Anxiety Scale (m-YPAS).
Results: In this study 200 children were evaluated (100 patients in the case group, 100 patients
in the control group). There were 20 female and 80 male patients in the case group
with a mean age of 4.33±1.5 years and 26 female and 74 male patients in the control
group with a mean age of 3.87±1.2 years (p=NS). Inguinal herniorraphy was the most
common procedure in both groups. Preoperative anxiety was significantly decreased
for all categories of the anxiety score as assessed by m-YPAS questionnaire.
Conclusion: A preoperative playroom is a very effective method to reduce preoperative anxiety
in children.
Key words
preoperative anxiety - anxiety questionnaire - playing - m-YPAS
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Correspondence
Ass. Prof. Mehrdad Hosseinpour
Trauma Research Center
Kashan University of Medical
Sciences (KAUMS)
Kashan
Islamic Republic of Iran
Phone: +98 311 6255 368
Fax: +98 311 6684 510
Email: meh_hosseinpour@yahoo.com
