Campaign To Ease Children’s Fears About Anaesthesia

Helping parents and carers to relieve their child’s
anxiety before an operation is the focus of a new
information campaign launched today.

The Australian
and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA)
“Anaesthesia and Children: Caring for your kids”
campaign is aimed at guiding parents, carers and their
children so they can understand what they can expect before,
during and after their child’s operations.

Mindful
of the workforce and resourcing pressures faced by hospitals
in New Zealand ANZCA is encouraging hospitals to support the
campaign if they can.

ANZCA President Dr Chris Cokis
says some children may need reassurance ahead of having an
operation or procedure in hospital. Children of all ages,
including newborn babies, may require anaesthesia when
having an operation or medical procedure.

“This
year’s National Anaesthesia Day campaign on Monday 17
October is about creating awareness of the vital role
anaesthetists play in keeping children safe and pain-free
during their operation. It’s also about helping parents,
carers and children through the process,” he
explains.

“Sometimes children may be anxious about
having to go to hospital for an operation so we’re
encouraging parents and carers to speak with their
anaesthetist ahead of their child’s operation to ensure
they’re well prepared and also so everything runs as
smoothly as possible.”

ANZCA has created a short
animated video for children with the Society for Paediatric
Anaesthesia in New Zealand and Australia that anaesthetists
and hospitals can use as part of a suite of online resources
which also includes posters and fact sheets at anzca.edu.au.

New
Zealand is one of the safest places to have a surgical
procedure involving anaesthesia, and our anaesthetists are
among the most highly trained specialist doctors on the
planet.

ANZCA, as one of Australia and New Zealand’s
largest specialist medical colleges with 7500 specialist
anaesthetists (fellows) and 500 specialist pain medicine
physicians, is responsible for the training, examination and
specialist accreditation of anaesthetists and pain medicine
specialists and for the standards of clinical practice in
Australia and New
Zealand.

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