Comfort the child. Let the child sit in their parent's lap. Avoid examining them more than necessary. Most hospitals allow parents or guardians of children to enter the OR with them so children can sit on their parent's lap as they fall asleep. While you always would like to have at least 1 IV before taking a patient into the OR, in children, you may not have one and must rely on gas anesthetic in the OR with flavored scents to induce sleep. Don't suggest giving oral Versed/midazolam (a medication to calm them down) in the preoperative area right away. Non-medication approaches are always best, but this option exists if you need to control a child.
