Establishment of the Emergence Agitation Risk Prediction System for Athletes Undergoing Abdominal Surgery: Implications for Sports Medicine and Fitness

Abstract

Objectives: To develop a risk prediction system for emergence agitation in athletes undergoing abdominal surgery, aimed at enhancing post-operative recovery and return to training and competition.

Methods: An extensive review of literature and a retrospective study identified potential risk factors for emergence agitation in athletes undergoing abdominal surgery. The Delphi method was employed to refine and validate the risk prediction model, focusing on factors relevant to athletic recovery and performance.

Results: Two rounds of expert consultations achieved response rates of 100% and 86.7%, respectively. Authority coefficients for the experts were high (0.846 and 0.843), with low coefficients of variation (0.212 and 0.158) and satisfactory Kendall’s coefficients of concordance (0.314 and 0.336), indicating strong consensus and reliability. The final risk prediction system comprised 5 primary and 23 secondary indicators specifically tailored to assess athletes. These indicators encompass physiological, psychological, and sport-specific variables critical to predicting and managing emergence agitation post-abdominal surgery.

Conclusion: The established risk prediction system for emergence agitation in athletes undergoing abdominal surgery provides a comprehensive tool for continuous and dynamic pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative assessment. This system is designed to improve clinical outcomes and accelerate safe return to sports activities, thereby enhancing the capabilities of sports medicine professionals in managing athlete care effectively.