The family should also arrive at the center in sufficient time to complete the preoperative examination and assessment prior to the surgery. Often the anesthesiology personnel see the patient only on the day of surgery. In this case, directions on presurgical fasting and other information should be available and distributed by the surgeon or surgical staff to the family at the office or clinic. Preoperative feedings are frequently a problem. The family should contact the surgical center the day prior to surgery to ascertain the time of arrival at the center, and feeding guidelines should be modified according to a predetermined schedule, taking into account the patient's age and the time of the patient's arrival at the center.
Preoperative medications are helpful for a variety of reasons.
They may make it easier for the child to separate from the parents, may make it easier to induce the child and may help with postoperative pain relief. Oral premedicants are usually tolerated better than other routes. Common oral premedicants are oral fentanyl or midazolam, usually mixed with juices or oral analgesics to mask the taste. Fentanyl may also be formulated into a lozenge or lollipop for better appeal to the child. Anesthetic induction is performed via mask for most pediatric patients.