Communication with children: practical hints and tools for the anesthesiology routine

Der Anaesthesist
N ZechE Hansen

Abstract

Pediatric patients represent a special challenge both for the management of anesthesia and for communication, especially the anxious and screaming child. Children have specific features of fears, cognition, comprehension and skills depending on the stage of development. In addition, behavior and anxiety are strongly shaped by the parents who have to be incorporated. This article presents the special features of children as well as practical strategies and aids for dealing with children in a perioperative setting. In children suggestibility and susceptibility to placebo and nocebo effects are increased. This makes them more sensitive to negative factors but can also be utilized for positive, constructive effects. Possibilities are presented which make use of the special characteristics of children. A number of examples from daily clinical routine are given. A child's imagination, creativity and capability for dissociation in particular allow an effective application of indirect suggestion, metaphors, stories, changes in focus of attention, retreat to an inner or imagined safe place, reframing of disturbing noises and events, pacing and leading in small steps and an activation of inner resources. A hand puppet, a pet toy, a littl...Continue Reading

References

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Sep 19, 2009·Anesthesia and Analgesia·Michelle A FortierZeev N Kain
Nov 6, 2009·Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie·Anne WyschkonGünter Esser
Jan 1, 2010·Anesthesia and Analgesia·Dirk VarelmannWilliam R Camann
May 19, 2012·Paediatric Anaesthesia·Leora Kuttner
Apr 20, 2013·Pediatric Research·Katja WeimerPaul Enck
May 2, 2013·Anästhesiologie, Intensivmedizin, Notfallmedizin, Schmerztherapie : AINS·Jakobea Benz-Wörner, Martin Jöhr
Jul 23, 2013·Seminars in Pediatric Surgery·David R DeMaso, Carolyn Snell
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Oct 1, 2014·Paediatric Anaesthesia·Michelle A Fortier, Zeev N Kain
Oct 19, 2014·Der Anaesthesist·N ZechE Hansen

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Citations

Aug 27, 2015·Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology·Martin Jöhr, Thomas M Berger
May 14, 2016·Deutsches Ärzteblatt International·Winfried HäuserErnil Hansen

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