Project Description:

Pediatric patients commonly receive anesthesia through mask induction rather than intravenous (IV) administration because many children are fearful of needles. Mask induction itself, however, can be traumatic as more than 40% of pediatric patients experience distress during induction. This is largely due to the unfamiliar operating room (OR) environment and the strong, unpleasant odor of the anesthesia mask. These situations often require clinicians to physically restrain the child, which can be unsafe and emotionally taxing for both the patient and care team. This risky process can also prolong recovery time for the patient and create negative associations with the idea of undergoing anesthesia. To help calm patients, clinicians often introduce pleasant, distracting scents using pre-scented anesthesia masks or by applying lip balm inside a standard mask. These methods are only minimally effective as the scent does not overcome the mask’s plastic odor, in addition to the higher price of scented masks and cross contamination risk of the lip balm. The inconsistent method among providers leads to an unpredictable experience for children. Calm-Connect is a simple, standardized solution designed to improve the pediatric anesthesia experience. It is a disposable, scented connector that integrates directly into the existing anesthesia circuit without significantly altering a clinician’s workflow. By offering four distinct scents, Calm-Connect allows children to choose the smell they prefer, giving them a sense of autonomy and familiarity before entering the OR. This personalized and predictable sensory experience aims to reduce patient anxiety, improve mask compliance, and support a more positive induction process for pediatric patients and clinicians alike.