Shields, Linda (2010) Perioperative Care of the Child: a nursing manual. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, UK.

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Abstract

In this book, we aim to provide the reader with a range of information about the specialised care of children (and their families) who are having a surgical procedure in a perioperative area. However, we have not included detailed accounts of standard perioperative practice, for example, sterilizing techniques, as this book is about children and their families. For standard perioperative practice, many large and detailed books exist.

We often refer to parents. For our purposes, "parent" means any person who has primary responsibility to care for a child. This can mean the natural parents, any extended family member, foster parents and carers, or anyone in whose charge the child is deemed to be at the time. However, for brevity, we use the word "parent/s".

We use the term "child" to mean child in the legal sense, that is, a minor in legal terms (in many countries, someone under the age of 18 years). However, we recognise that adolescents, young people, or any other term considered politically correct could be used for those aged in their teenage years, whom we include in this book. We also include people who may be older than 18 years, but who still use paediatric operating theatres for any reason whatsoever. For ease of use, all will be referred to as "child" or "children".

We use the terms "operating theatre" and "operating room" interchangeably, and often use the abbreviation "OR" for Operating Room. The Paediatric Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit, or postoperative recovery room is denoted as "PPACU". Induction rooms are part of many paediatric ORs, and are the rooms adjoining the operating theatre itself where the anaesthetic is induced before the child is wheeled into the theatre and placed on the operating table. Induction rooms are often colourful places with pictures on the wall and a range of distraction tools such as music and puppets to relax the child and his or her parents. This precludes a range of people having to enter the theatre itself, thereby preventing possible spread of micro-organisms.

The authors of this book are all experienced clinicians, who have highly specialized skills in particular areas. While we all live in different countries, we all care for children and their families when they come into a health service for a surgical procedure of some kind.

We hope that you enjoy reading this book, and that it is useful to anyone who is caring for children and families.

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