Effect of Systematic Psychological Preparation Using Visual Illustration Prior to Gastrointestinal Endoscopy on the Anxiety of Both Pediatric Patients and Parents
Pornthawee Riddhiputra RN*, Nuthapong Ukarapol MD*
Affiliation : * Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
Background : Anxiety, a psychological response to stress, can affect a child undergoing medical procedures,
and their family members. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the benefit of detailed systematic
information using a set of real photograph-based technical illustrations provided to both parents and patients
before performing endoscopy on the level of anxiety.
Materials and Methods : All children eligible for gastrointestinal endoscopy were consecutively enrolled from
December 2003 to May 2004. Before and after providing systematic psychological preparation, the parents
and patients older than five years of age were asked to score their anxiety on the procedures using visual
analogue scale (VAS).
Results : There were fifty-four patients enrolled during the study period. Of these, twenty-five children were
older than five years of age. The most common indication of gastrointestinal endoscopy was lower gastrointes-
tinal bleeding. The esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, and both upper and lower endoscopies were
performed in 50%, 37%, and 13% of the cases, respectively. The mean and standard deviation of VAS on
anxiety of the parents (n = 54) before and after providing systematic information were 3.89 +/- 3.45 and 1.90
+/- 2.46, respectively (p < 0.001). These values on anxiety of the children older than 5 years of age before and
after providing systematic information were 4.38 +/- 3.72 and 3.36 +/- 3.69, respectively (p = 0.143). There
was no statistically significant impact of types of procedure, level of education, family’s income, age of children,
and birth order on the level of anxiety.
Conclusion : The preparatory intervention using systematic visual illustration of the technical procedures in
children undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy could significantly reduce the parents’ anxiety.
Keywords : Psychological preparation, Anxiety, Endoscopy, Child
