The Prevention of Post-Operative Delirium in the Pediatric Population

Abstract

Emergence delirium is a condition in which emergence from anesthesia is accompanied by a state of profound excitation and disorientation potentially resulting in injury. There is an incidence as high as 80% in school age children. Though the etiology of emergence delirium is unknown, researchers have hypothesized it is due to the rapid metabolism of modern inhaled anesthetics such as sevoflurane and desflurane. A review of literature was conducted regarding the etiology of emergence delirium, it’s long-term effects, the potential hazards associated with this condition and appropriate evidence-based management techniques. The goal of this scholarly project was to increase the knowledge base of 27 students in the 2019 MSNA ADU cohort assuming no attrition. A pretest was given to a sample size of 26 student register nurse anesthetists before a power point presentation to evaluate their baseline knowledge on emergence delirium prevention. A post-test was then administered to assess an increase in the knowledge base. Data analysis was conducted by means of a paired sample t test, with a predetermined significance of p < .05. There was a statistically significant (t (25) = -5.211, p<.001) increase in the baseline knowledge of the students between the mean pre-test (M=65.38, SD=29.96) scores and the post-test (M=92.31, SD=9.51) scores.

Description

Keywords

Emergence Delirium, children, Propofol, dexamedetomidine

Citation

DOI