The Effectiveness of Video Distraction on Children Preoperative Anxiety: An Integrative Literature Review

Abstract

Background: Children who undergo a day case surgery experience high levels of preoperative anxiety. Preoperative anxiety interferes with anesthesia induction compliance and is associated with many short and long term postoperative complications. Recently, video distraction intervention has been evaluated for its anxiolytic effects in preoperative children. Aim: The aim of this integrative review was to demonstrate the varying methodological approaches utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of a video distraction intervention in reducing preoperative anxiety in children undergoing day case surgery. Methods: A total of 8 articles, meeting the inclusion criteria, were evaluated and included. Findings: The eight studies investigating the effect of video distraction on children preoperative anxiety concluded that video distraction was significant in controlling children preoperative anxiety. Four of the eight studies (50%), investigated video distraction effectiveness against pharmacological comparisons and demonstrated superior or equal anxiolytic effect of video distraction on different points along the surgical continuum. Three of the eight studies compared video distraction against parental presences and video distraction showed superior anxiolytic effect. Three of the eight studies evaluated the effect of video distraction on anesthesia induction compliance and emergence delirium. A significant effect on anesthesia induction was demonstrated while non-significant effect on emergence delirium was documented. Conclusion: Video distraction is a safe, time and cost effective non pharmacological anxiolytic intervention. It can be provided by nurses to control children high level of anxiety before surgery and during anesthesia induction.