Effects of the Interactive Multisensory Preoperative Orientation Program on Perioperative Outcomes in Children Undergoing Adenotonsillectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Perioperative anxiety and emergence delirium are common clinical challenges in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy, which can compromise post-surgical recovery and caregiver satisfaction. This single-center, parallel-group randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of the nurse-led Interactive Multisensory Preoperative Orientation Program on perioperative outcomes in school-aged children aged 6–12 years undergoing elective adenotonsillectomy. Ninety children at a Grade III tertiary hospital in Anhui, China, were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a control group (n = 45) receiving standard perioperative care or an intervention group (n = 45) receiving the program in addition. Explicitly designed around Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, our half-day intervention operationalized the four-stage experiential cycle through operating-room familiarization, interactive storybook debriefing, animated video discussion, and supervised procedural simulation with teach-back. The primary outcome was preoperative anxiety, measured via the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale–Short Form. Secondary outcomes were measured using the Induction Compliance Checklist, the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium Scale, and the Parental Satisfaction Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t‑tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests.

Children in the intervention group demonstrated significantly lower preoperative anxiety scores, significantly improved anesthesia induction compliance, and a shorter duration of emergence delirium compared to the control group. Furthermore, parental satisfaction was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group. The Interactive Multisensory Preoperative Orientation Program significantly reduces preoperative anxiety and emergence delirium, improves induction compliance, and enhances caregiver satisfaction. Nurses can readily integrate this theory-based program into clinical practice after further testing with different samples. Future multicenter trials should incorporate mediation analyses, cost-effectiveness evaluations, and potential moderators, such as parental anxiety, to further clarify mechanistic pathways.