Tuesday, March 22, 2016
One of the greatest challenges in pediatric anesthesia is providing preoperative relief for children’s anxiety. Medical research has compared the effects of giving children preoperative sedatives with allowing parents to be present when kids’ anesthesia begins. Both of those measures can be effective.
Now, some physicians at Beaumont Hospital, Farmington Hills have made it possible for kids, and even some adult patients, to distract their attention away from anxious thoughts by playing games and doing activities on iPads.
“We wanted to give a desirable distraction to the pediatric patients we serve,” said Beaumont, Farmington Hills anesthesiologist Aaron Wood, D.O. “Letting kids play fun and interactive games on iPads gives them a great distraction and is an appropriate alternative to using sedatives to reduce anxiety.”
Dr. Wood turned into a fundraiser briefly and went to his fellow anesthesiologists, as well as ear, nose and throat surgeons David Seel, D.O. and Shant Korkigian, D.O. to raise enough money to purchase six iPads.“Our main goal was to help calm and distract the kids who come in to have their tonsils and adenoids removed,” Dr. Wood said. “But the iPads were so successful as a distraction, that we now offer an iPad to all preoperative pediatric patients, as well as to adult patients who might have an extended stay in Pre-Op or Post-Op.”
When the devices first appeared in Pre-Op, an anesthesiologist would hand out an iPad to his or her pediatric patients. Soon though, the surgical registration clerk will give an iPad to kids, so patients will obtain the device within minutes of arriving at the hospital.
“When seeing our pediatric patients having a good time using these iPads, my fellow physicians, as well as the kids’ parents and the Pre-Op staff, feel really energized!” said Dr. Wood. “Personally seeing a child's positive reaction is very rewarding, not only because it allays the child's anxiety, but it reminds me of my colleagues’ dedication and compassion to our patients and to our hospital.”