Reduction of anxiety in the anteroom of the operating theater in pediatric patients

Research indicates that anxiety before surgical intervention in paediatric patients negatively affects on post hospital recovery. Numerous investigations are, therefore, conducted to alleviate anxiety through different psychological techniques at this critical moment that the child is undergoing in surgery. In our case, we have considered one of the resources of the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital: a voluntary team that works in the anteroom of the operating theatre to keep the children company. The aim of our research has been to train these volunteers (who previously did not have any specific training for their task) and to observe the effect on the children's anxiety. The subjects of our study were 140 boys and girls between the ages of 0 and 18 years old. Results indicate that training not only produces significative changes on volunteers' behaviour, but also has resulted in the children's presurgical anxiety behaviour. In this way, we recommend that all children be accompanied by a trained volunteer.