Effects of auditory and audiovisual
presentations on childrens’ anxiety and behavioral changes
Background: The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the impact on preoperative anxiety and postoperative behavioral disturbances of videotape and auditory presentation about perioperative period in children undergoing elective ambulatory surgery.
Materials and Methods:After obtaining Ethics Committee approval and writtenin formed consent from parents; 99 patients, aged 5 to 12 years and scheduled to undergo outpatient surgery were accepted in thestudy. Participants were randomly divided into three groups: control group (group C, n=33), group applied to auditory presentation (group A, n=33) and group applied to videotape presentation (group V, n=33). The patients in group C were explained anesthesia and analgesia management, preoperative fasting and regular use of the drug to be administered after surgery, by an anesthesiologist. The patients in group V were shown videotape related to preoperative preparation and postoperative period. In group A were listened only sound recording of this video. These implementations were made during preoperative visit. All children were no used premedication and general anesthesia was administered to them. The preoperative anxiety levels of children were measured with Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (M-YPAS) at induction of anesthesia after taken into the operating room. Parents were contacted by telephone to assessing the behavior changes of their child’s at 7 days after hospital discharge. This evaluation was performed using Post Hospitalization Behavioral Questionnaire (PHBQ).
Results and Discussion: There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics of patients and parents between the 3 groups. M-YPAS scores were significantly lower in group V than groupC and A (p<0.05). PHBQ scores in group C had statistically higher than in group A and V. However, no statistical difference was between group A and group V.
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods or combination of the two methods may be used in the management of preoperative anxiety (1). Non-pharmacological methods contain parental presence, preoperative information programs, distraction techniques. At the present time, these programs are effectively used (2).
Conclusion: Audiovisual presentation on reducing childrens’ anxiety may be more effective in terms of memorable and interesting compared to auditory presentation. But, we can suggest that both methods can be equally effective for postoperative behavioral changes.

Effects of auditory and audiovisual presentations on childrens' anxiety and behavioral changes