Clowns help patients, annoy doctors

A clown in the operating room may relax anxious children who are about to undergo surgery but the entertainer has to learn to keep out of the way, Italian researchers said.

A study of 40 children between four months and three years old who were accompanied by at least one parent prior to minor surgery found having a clown present significantly reduced anxiety levels for both child and parent.

Three out of five children suffer anxiety before surgery, according to the report published in the journal Pediatrics.

Clowns succeeded in distracting the children until the administration of anaesthesia but apparently annoyed doctors and nurses.

"The questionnaire for health professionals indicated that the clowns were a benefit to the child but the majority of staff was opposed to continuing the program because of perceived interference with the procedures of the operating room

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1473842.htm

I thought there were enough clowns in the OR - - -

- - - WITHOUT having to import one. Ask the anesthesia residents who have had an ear full of K-Y jelly because their boss would coat the phone's earpiece with it, and then go across the room and call them from the other extension. How MANY bad, corny jokes have we had to endure from Pediatricians? Anesthesia may become a welcome respite to the patients.