OCTOBER 25, 2024
Originally published by our sister publication Anesthesiology News
PHILADELPHIA—A new computerized mental health assessment tool may allow doctors to quickly identify children experiencing anxiety or depression before surgery, as shown in new research presented at the 2024 annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
In the small, single-center study, researchers found that more than half of the children screened had anxiety before surgery and more than one-third had
Originally published by our sister publication Anesthesiology News
PHILADELPHIA—A new computerized mental health assessment tool may allow doctors to quickly identify children experiencing anxiety or depression before surgery, as shown in new research presented at the 2024 annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
In the small, single-center study, researchers found that more than half of the children screened had anxiety before surgery and more than one-third had depression.
“The use of the KCAT tool in pediatric patients in the preoperative setting is very feasible and the results of our pilot study show a substantial prevalence of these mental health conditions in this surgical population,” said Elizabeth Pealy, MD, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago Medicine. “Anxiety and depression are caused by many factors. Many kids are anxious before having surgery and the stress of undergoing the actual procedure can accentuate it.”
The overall incidence and prevalence of anxiety and depression in children in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years. It is difficult for pediatric anesthesiologists to determine if patients have undiagnosed anxiety or depression, or severe preoperative anxiety, before surgery. Increased anxiety can contribute to the child being uncooperative during anesthetic induction, as well as prolonged recovery, increased postoperative pain and delirium, and decreased patient satisfaction. With thousands of children undergoing surgery every year, having a comprehensive yet quick method to screen for these conditions is needed.
In the study, researchers tested the feasibility of administering KCAT—a computerized adaptive mental health assessment tool—to pediatric surgical patients in the preoperative holding area and examined the prevalence of anxiety and depression in this group. According to the authors, KCAT enables quick and accurate assessment of anxiety and depression without the need for a trained clinician interviewer. It is administered on a tablet device and allows for real-time assessment in the perioperative setting.
The study enrolled 65 children scheduled for elective surgery at a large children’s hospital. The median age was 13 years (range, 7-18 years). All the children completed the assessment (average duration, two minutes and 13 seconds), with 15 receiving parental assistance. The researchers found that 57% of patients screened positive for anxiety and 34% screened positive for depression.
“This is the first study to examine the use of this tool on children in this setting,” said Sarah Nizamuddin, MD, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago Medicine. “The ability to rapidly assess for and capture anxiety and depression levels can allow providers to offer a variety of anxiety-reducing options prior to and after surgery to the patients who would benefit the most. Further studies should aim to determine how to use the information to better cater to the needs of pediatric patients to improve their experience during surgery.”
By Anesthesiology News Staff
