Journal of Pediatric Surgical Nursing

Surgery is one of the main reasons for anxiety and fearful experiences of children and their parents. It is reported that up to 60% of young children experience significant preoperative anxiety. Preoperative anxiety is also common among parents, which directly leads to anxiety among children. Parental anxiety can lead to a negative impact on children's coping during new or stressful situations like children's hospitalization and going to surgery.

A prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial was conducted on a sample of 56 children aged 7–12 years and their parents. The intervention group (n = 28) received a 15-minute virtual teaching (video) containing information about preoperative care, operation theater visit, use of common medical instruments, and postoperative care. The control group (n = 28) received standard routine care. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Modified Observed Scale of Behavioral Distress-Revised were used to assess anxiety and coping mechanisms in both the children and their parents; nonparametric, Mann–Whitney U, and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used for analysis.

Children's level of anxiety and coping mechanisms were significantly improved in the intervention group as compared with the control group. Parents' level of anxiety and coping mechanisms were also significantly improved.

The Preoperative Educational Schedule virtual teaching video was effective to minimize anxiety and improve coping mechanisms among children and their parents.

Pressure injury is a serious health problem not only among adults but also among children. However, anatomical and physiological differences of the children may affect the prevalence of pressure injury. The current study aimed at determining the prevalence of pressure injuries and its risk factors for use in designing prevention programs.

This was a 1-day in-depth assessment of all children who were hospitalized at a tertiary center in Turkey. Included were children who were admitted without pressure injuries. Observation and face-to-face interviews were undertaken to assess each child for the presence or absence of pressure injury using an Individual Characteristics Form, the Braden Scale, and the Braden Q Scale for Predicting Pressure Injury Risk. In addition, each child was assessed with the Glasgow Coma Scale and given a nutritional assessment.

Pressure injury had developed in 17 of the 143 patients (12%). For these children, average age was 66.2 ± 616 months, mean body weight was 19.7 ± 16.5 kg and most of them were determined as underweight according to a body mass index of 70.6% (12 children). Male gender was identified in 64.7% (11 children). Among the children in whom pressure injury developed, it was seen that average hemoglobin value was 9.5 ± 1.6 g/dl and average albumin value was 2.7 ± 0.2 g/dl. It was found out that mean Glasgow Coma Scale score was 10.7 ± 4.6 and mean Braden Risk Score was 15.3 ± 5.2, which indicates moderate risk. Furthermore, 58.8% of the children were treated in the intensive care unit; 52.9% of the children (nine children) had neurological problems, whereas 70.6% of them (12 children) had chronic medical problems. It was discovered that the rate of the patients whose pressure injury was Grade 1 was 47.1% (eight children).

In the current study, prevalence of pressure injury was 12%. Most of the children in whom pressure injuries developed had low body mass index and albumin values and neurological and chronic diseases, showing that these children were under risk for pressure injuries. The results obtained from the current study will be evaluated as evidence to prevent and treat pressure injuries at the institution where the study was done.

Although rare, ovarian torsion is a surgical emergency. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of the occurrence, review anatomy and pathophysiology, and share diagnosis and management options with other healthcare providers.

This article was composed by two professional nurses who, in seeking to understand more about this dangerous condition, worked together in searching the literature for the latest information on etiology and management options for the patient.

The sudden onset of lower abdominal pain in female children and adolescents requires immediate evaluation by a qualified medical professional. In the case of ovarian torsion, speed is of the essence if normal function can possibly be restored or if surgical intervention for removal is required.