ABSTRACT

Introduction: In children, reducing preoperative anxiety is important to ensure proper anesthesia, and induction of appropriate anesthesia can prevent adverse postoperative behavioral changes. Ketamine and promethazine have been used as pretreatment to improve anxiety, but the advantage and comparison of these compounds over each other has not yet been determined.

Methods and materials: This clinical trial study conducted on sixty children were evaluated in 3 groups Received ketamine (n = 20), promethazine (n = 20) controls (n = 20) by available method. children aged 3 to 8 years who have received the desired pre-medication 30 minutes before entering the operating room and their anxiety level upon entering the operating room Has been measured. Statistical analyses were done using IBM-SPSS 25.0. and Chi-square test were used for data analysis.

Results: Sixty children with a mean age of 5.37 years were examined. In the ketamine group 85% of children and in the promethazine group 65% showed reduction in anxiety. Anxiety was higher in the ketamine group than in the promethazine group, but was statistically significant only in the ketamine group (p).

Conclusion and discussion: We found that the use of oral ketamine as a premedication for anesthesia in children is somewhat associated with less anxiety and restlessness in them. Promethazine can also be effective in preoperative sedation in children and there is no significant difference between the two drugs studied.

Keyword: children, ketamine, promethazine, preoperative anxiety, anesthesia