New research has shown that iPads have the same effect on children as sedatives when used prior to surgery as a means of lowering anxiety.

Presented at the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, the research was carried out to compare the effects of a sedative regularly used before anaesthesia called midazolam during premedication and age-appropriate gaming apps on the iPad on children ages 4 to 10 years old during and after day (ambulatory) surgery.

For the research, participants were randomly grouped into two: those taking midazolam and those given access to iPads. Both groups were presented with their treatment options 20 minutes before being given anaesthesia.

Anxiety levels in children measured upon arrival at the hospital, separation from parents, during induction and at the post anaesthesia care unit (PACU). Both child and parent were assessed at the same time except during induction as parents were not present for that one.

Thirty minutes after a child was given their final dose of nalbuphine anaesthetic or 45 minutes upon arriving at the PACU, the children were moved to the day surgery ward where both the child and the parents' anxiety levels were measured one last time.

Additionally, parents were asked to assess the anaesthetic procedure, rating it with a 0 to 10, with 10 signifying the highest level of satisfaction. A Post Hospital Behavior Questionnaire was also used to examine changes in behavior after the surgery.

What the researchers saw was that both child and parents have similar anxiety levels that evolved at similar patterns. However, parents were more satisfied with the anaesthetic procedure when their child was given an iPad before administration.

"Use of iPads or other tablet devices is a non-pharmacologic tool which can reduce perioperative stress without any sedative effect in paediatric ambulatory surgery," said researcher Dr. Dominique Chassard.

For those specifically undergoing eye surgery, researchers have discovered that listening to relaxing music just before the procedure offered benefits by making them feel less anxious even with minimal sedation.

Receiving eye surgery while away can be highly stressful so researchers at France's Cochin University Hospital were looking for a way to make eye surgery patients feel more comfortable and relaxed. They decided to explore what music has to offer because relaxing sounds have been shown to be beneficial to surgical patients.

Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that listening to music can be an inexpensive, non-invasive way of lowering anxiety before surgery in place of anaesthesia. Their next work will be focused on determining if music-induced relaxation can help in alleviating pain after a major surgery.