Cartoons and Reflexology for Postoperative Nausea, Pain, and Anxiety in Children

Preoperative anxiety arises as a physiological response of the body to stressors and is pathophysiologically associated with stimulation of the autonomic nervous system and increased catecholamine release (Durgut, 2021). As a result, elevated levels of cortisol and epinephrine in the body can cause cytotoxic effects at the cellular level. This physiological mechanism may lead to hypertension, arrhythmia, tachycardia, and tachypnea in children (Dehghan et al., 2019; Durgut, 2021).

Due to these effects, recent evidence-based studies have focused on the use of non-pharmacological approaches with fewer side effects to manage anxiety in children (Kavak et al., 2019). According to the literature, various techniques have been identified as effective interventions for reducing preoperative anxiety in children, including:

Listening to music,

Playing games,

Using dramatic puppets,

Interactive play,

Virtual reality applications,

Watching cartoons,

Playing favorite video games,

Video presentations,

Hospital clowns,

Storybooks,

Visual and auditory stimuli