Selected studies/case reports summarised by study characteristics, methods and outcomes
| First author (year) | Participants (N) | Age (years) | Country | Study design/assessment type | Outcomes and recommendations for perioperative interventions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson (2014)8 | 43 | 2–16 | USA | ABA | Better communication of individual needs enhances staff comfort, parent satisfaction and patient experience |
| Christiansen (2005)9 | 1 (case report) | 13 | Australia | Case report | Emphasise parental involvement, review of anaesthesia techniques with focus on ‘combative’ and ‘uncooperative’ child |
| Seid (1997)10 | 2 (case reports) | USA | Best practices/case report | (1) Parent/caregiver to be used as expert/consultant on child's idiosyncrasies; (2) pre-teaching adjusted to cognitive capacity of patient; (3) separation from carer minimised; (4) disruption of patient's routine minimised; (5) distractors/treasured objects used to decrease anxiety | |
| Lindberg (2012)11 | 12 Parents | Sweden, Finland | Case report—parent report of child's induction in the presence and absence of dialogue | Continuity in the perioperative dialogue with parents, increased familiarity with staff (photo of nurse). Eloquent illustration of historical tone of attributing despair to procedure-related child/parent anxiety vs suffering caused by care | |
| Ambardekar (2013)12 | USA | Case report of incorporating service animal in perioperative care of 12 year old with ASD | Extension of family-centred care to include service dogs makes experience less stressful for patients/families. Author proposed ‘induction room’ so that the dog would not compromise the sterility of the surgical procedure | ||
| van der Walt (2001)13 | 59 Patients, 87 procedures | 26 months–17 years | Australia | Review/audit of 59 patients with ASD in a total of 87 procedures requiring anaesthesia | Advanced notification, involvement of parents in planning periprocedural elements and from induction to early in the recovery phase were all emphasised. Flexible admission (decreased waiting time) and quiet room |
| Souders (2002)14 | 62 | 3–8 | USA | Best practices review of nursing care for participants in study of secretin effects on 62 children with ASD by Levy et al and Coplan et al (2001) | Focused preparation with family before hospital. Children with high-functioning ASD: modelling, choices, distraction and conversation and token systems. Children with mild–moderate ASD: imitation, shaping, choices and distraction. Children with severe ASD: combination of high-probability requests/low-probability requests, distraction with singing, counting and holding |
| Scarpinato (2010)15 | 9 Cases | USA | Clinical case studies and literature review | Comprehensive initial assessment informing strategies for intervention at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Focused preplanning with family and individualisation. Instructive neurosurgical case | |
| Nelson (2009)16 | USA | Perioperative guidelines | Review of key strategies for perioperative nursing care, organised by phase | ||
| Davignon (2014)17 | 20 Mothers 20 Providers | Semistructured interviews | Advanced preparation and communication with families informing individualised modifications in patient flow and clinical environment improve care | ||
| Vlassakova (2016)18 | Review | Familiarity with patient's specific behavioural characteristics and efforts to alleviate stress are keys to smooth perioperative course |
ASD, autism spectrum disorder.