title: [Parental presence in the operating room: effect on the quality of anesthetic induction and postoperative agitation in children].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Various nonpharmacologic strategies for reducing anxiety in children and improving cooperation during induction of anesthesia have been investigated. Parental presence during anesthetic induction has been the alternative studied most often, especially in English-speaking populations. Mixed results have been reported, however. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of anesthetic induction and the development of postoperative agitation in Spanish children undergoing ear, nose, or throat surgery with or without parental presence in the operating room.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children in American Society of Anesthesiologists class 1 or 2 who were scheduled for ear, nose or throat surgery under inhalation anesthesia were randomized to 2 groups for presence or absence of a parent in the operating room. The induction experience was classified as easy, carried out with moderate resistance, or traumatic. The postoperative period was assessed as easy or traumatic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty children were randomized. Time to onset of anesthesia was similar in the 2 groups. Induction was easy for 65% of the children with parental presence and for 25% of the children without a parent present (P < .05). Induction was traumatic for 25% in the parental presence group and for 35% in the parental absence group (P < .05). The incidence of moderate resistance during induction was similar in the 2 groups; the quality of the postoperative experience was also similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parental presence during induction of inhalation anesthesia improves the induction experience of nonpremeditated Spanish children, increasing the incidence of easy induction and decreasing the presence of traumatic induction. The quality of the postoperative experience is similar.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario Doctor Peset, Valencia. soliveres_jua@gva.es
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soliveres
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balaguer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Estruch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Solaz
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000592:standards*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014789:Visitors to Patients