Abstract: Objective: To investigate factors that correlates with child’s compliance during general anaesthesia induction. Method: One hundred and two children (2-12 years of age) undergoing selected surgery were recruited in the current study. Preoperative anxiety of children was assessed in the holding area immediately prior to the surgery using a modified Yale preoperative anxiety scale (m-YPAS). Parent did not company the child during induction. Anaesthesia was induced in all children with an O2/N2O/sevoflurane mask technique. Compliance with anaesthesia induction was assessed using an induction compliance check list (ICC). The trait and state anxiety of the parent who accompanied the child were assessed using a state trait anxiety inventory (STAI) questionnaire on the day before surgery and in the holding area respectively. Results: Children’s ICC score negatively correlated with their age (p<0.01), and positively correlated with their m-YPAS score (p<0.01) and their parents’ STAI-T score (p<0.05). Children’s m-YPAS score also negatively correlated with their age (p<0.01), and positively correlated with their parents STAI-T score (p<0.01) and STAI-S score (p<0.05) . Conclusions: For children whose parents do not company them during induction, younger age, higher preoperative anxiety level and higher parents’ trait anxiety level are predictors of their poor induction compliance. Parents’ preoperative state anxiety level dose not influence children’s induction compliance in this study.

Key words: preoperative anxiety, children, anaesthesia induction, age