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Review Articles

Developing nursing interventions in Paediatric Emergence Delirium: a scoping review

, ORCID Icon & ORCID Icon
Pages 82-95 | Received 18 Nov 2022, Accepted 12 Feb 2024, Published online: 01 Mar 2024
 

Abstract

Background

Children who experience Emergence Delirium following an anaesthetic are at an increased risk of injury, harm to the surgical site, delayed discharge from the recovery room/ post anaesthetic care unit, an increased length of stay in hospital, the requirement of additional nursing staff to care for them and may display additional emotional and behavioural upsets in the weeks following surgery. Many factors have been postulated to be associated with the development of Emergence Delirium in children. However, to date the strength and nature of these associations has not been thoroughly investigated nor discussed considering the specific implications for contemporary nursing practice.

Aim

The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of Emergence Delirium in children, and a critical synthesis of evidence informing development of nursing interventions to prevent or minimise paediatric Emergence Delirium.

Methods

This scoping review was conducted guided by the PRISMA checklist. 14 peer-reviewed studies and guidelines published between 2000 and 2020 on Emergence Delirium in children and nursing practice were included in the deductive thematic analysis stage.

Results

The results found the anxiety of the child, the post-operative phase, continuity of care and medication administration were key themes in the nursing management of Emergence Delirium.

Conclusion

There is opportunity for further research to be conducted on child Emergence Delirium in different hospital systems with further exploration of nurse-led interventions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interests.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded in part by a Bachelor of Nursing Honours Scholarship for ME by Tauranga Hospital, Bay of Plenty District Health Board. VE was funded by a Lotteries Health Research Fellowship #128096.