Humour therapy intervention to reduce stress and anxiety in paediatric anaesthetic induction, a pilot study

Editor—Hospitalization is a particularly negative experience for the paediatric population. Infants experiencing surgery can develop problematic behaviour, such as preoperative anxiety (50–75%)¹ and postoperative negative behavioural changes (75%), sleep and eating disorders, cognitive alterations, enuresis and disobedience. These complications can persist for several months after the surgical procedure.² In addition, it is well known that stress slows the healing process, decreases inflammatory responses, and likewise increases fear and anxiety. From a pathophysiological point of view, the increase in levels of circulating cortisol, secondary to an increase in the production of corticotropin releasing hormone and the action of the autonomic nervous system, can create harmful effects in different organs and tissues.³ Salivary cortisol has been used in several studies to measure levels of stress in children, as an index of the amount in blood, but which is a noninvasive procedure ideal for use in the paediatric population.

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