Infanta Cristina University Hospital in Parla now allows parents or guardians to accompany minors during anaesthetic induction, a measure aimed at reducing anxiety for patients and their families.
Infanta Cristina University Hospital, located in Parla, has implemented a new protocol that allows parents or guardians to stay with their minor children in the operating room during the anaesthetic induction process. The initiative, driven by the Health Department of the Community of Madrid, aims to decrease the stress and anguish caused by surgical interventions for both the children and their families.
The measure applies in the Surgical Block, the Major Ambulatory Surgery Unit, and the Recovery areas of the hospital. It is aimed at paediatric patients over three years old or weighing 15 kilograms or more, up to 17 years old, who are scheduled for surgery and meet the clinical criteria established by the Anaesthesiology Service.
The process begins in the pre-anaesthesia consultation, where healthcare professionals inform parents or guardians about the surgical and anaesthetic procedures, as well as the conditions under which they can accompany the minor. They are also provided with specific informational materials so they know in advance what to expect in the surgical area.
To access the operating room, the accompanying adult must adhere to strict hygiene and safety protocols and remain in a non-sterile area of the operating room. During the anaesthetic induction, the adult can maintain verbal and physical contact with the child, which helps the minor feel calmer and more secure during this particularly delicate moment.
Once the patient is asleep, the adult leaves the operating room. However, they can return during the postoperative period to facilitate the reunion with the minor and support the continuity of care and emotional support, as detailed by the regional government in a statement.
This initiative adds to similar measures that are already in place in other hospitals within the Madrid Health Service, including Clínico San Carlos, Gregorio Marañón, Infanta Leonor, and Niño Jesús in the capital, as well as Infanta Sofía in San Sebastián de los Reyes.
The measure represents a step forward in the humanisation of healthcare, an area in which the Community of Madrid has been working in recent years. The presence of parents during anaesthetic induction is a practice already implemented in many centres across Europe and is now being extended in the region.
For residents of Parla and nearby municipalities, this news has a direct impact, as Infanta Cristina is the reference hospital for the southern area. Families facing their children's surgery can learn about this procedure during pre-anaesthesia consultations, where they will receive all necessary information.
The Health Department has highlighted that this practice helps to reduce anxiety and stress for both patients and their parents, improving the overall hospital experience. Additionally, it helps the minor feel accompanied in an environment that can be intimidating.
The hospital in Parla thus becomes one of the pioneering centres in the region to implement this measure, which will gradually be extended to other public hospitals in Madrid. Healthcare professionals have received specific training to adapt their work to the presence of companions in the operating room.
The hospital reminds that accompaniment is subject to clinical criteria and patient safety, so it may not always be possible. In any case, the final decision rests with the anaesthesiology team, which will evaluate each case individually.
The measure, which has been in effect for several weeks, has received very positive feedback from families who have benefited from it. Parents particularly appreciate being able to be by their children's side as they fall asleep, which provides them with peace of mind and confidence in the process.
The next step will be to evaluate the results of this initiative at Infanta Cristina, with the aim of extending it to the rest of the public hospital network in the Community of Madrid.
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