Pre-operative breathing training based on video learning reduces emergence delirium in preschool children: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Study objective: Emergence delirium is a common complication in preschool children after general anesthesia and may result in undesirable complications. This study aimed to determine whether breathing training after watching an informative video during the pre-operative visit could reduce the incidence of emergence delirium in preschool children after otorhinolaryngologic surgery under general anesthesia.

Design: A single-center, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Perioperative care.

Patients: A total of 170 children undergoing otorhinolaryngologic surgery, aged 3-7 years, ASA physical status I or II were involved.

Interventions: Patients were randomized to receive breathing training during the pre-operative visit (Training group) or to receive pre-operative visit only (Control group) the day before surgery.

Measurements: Emergence delirium was measured by the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium score during the anesthesia recovery time. Data regarding extubation time and post-anesthesia care unit stay time were collected.

Main results: Children who received breathing training during the pre-operative visit had a significantly lower incidence of emergence delirium than those who only underwent the pre-operative visit (10.4% vs. 35.1%, P < 0.001). The awakening time score and the maximum score in the post-anesthesia care unit were significantly lower in the training group compared with the control group [4.4 ± 3.4 vs. 6.9 ± 4.2, P < 0.001 and 5.0 (5.0) vs 7.0 (7.0), P = 0.001, respectively]. We found no differences in the extubation time and post-anesthesia care unit stay time between groups.

Conclusions: We concluded that breathing training based on video learning during the pre-operative visit in preschool children undergoing otorhinolaryngologic surgery could significantly decrease the incidence of emergence delirium.

Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Reference number: ChiCTR1900026162); registered on September 24, 2019.

Keywords: Anesthesia recovery period; Breathing training; Emergence delirium; Otorhinolaryngologic surgery; Preschool children.