PREVENTION OF POSTOPERATIVE PSYCHIC TRAUMA IN CHILDREN The role of the anesthetic and surgical aproach

Anxiety in children undergoing surgery is characterized by subjective feelings of tension, apprehension, nervousness, and worry that may be expressed in various forms. The result is the occurrence of the global surgical stress response, which is considered a homeostatic mechanism for adapting to the perioperative injury. Anxiety may result also in the development of the postoperative maladaptive behavior. Factors responsible for the development of sychological trauma in children admitted in a hospital for surgery are shown in Table I. Anesthesia, particularly the induction period, is recognised as a cause of psychological trauma in children. We conducted a study in which an adopted practical quality anesthetic and surgical approach was undertaken to prevent the occurrence of postoperative psychic trauma in children.