Psychological Changes in Children after Anaesthesia: A Comparison between Halothane and Ketamine

The psychological reactions to hospitalization, anaesthesia, and operation in a group of 107 children from 1 to 12 years old, anaesthetized with ketamine or halothane after randomization were investigated through questionnaires, which the parents answered 1 month postoperatively. The percentage of replies was 96.3%. Fifty-three children were anaesthetized with ketamine and 50 with halothane. Thirteen children in the ketamine group and nine in the halothane group reacted with negative personality changes; the reactions were of less than 1 month's duration and were most frequent in the youngest children. The parents' preparation of the children had no influence on the results. The number of personality changes caused by the two anaesthetic agents did not differ significantly. Furthermore, the investigation showed the nine children reacted for the better. Thirty-six per cent of the parents felt insufficiently informed of what the hospitalization implied for their child.