Anesthesiology
-
Observational Study
Assessment of Common Criteria for Awake Extubation in Infants and Young Children.
Practice patterns surrounding awake extubation of pediatric surgical patients remain largely undocumented. This study assessed the value of commonly used predictors of fitness for extubation to determine which were most salient in predicting successful extubation following emergence from general anesthesia with a volatile anesthetic in young children. ⋯ Conjugate gaze, facial grimace, eye opening, purposeful movement, and tidal volume greater than 5 ml/kg were each individually associated with extubation success in pediatric surgical patients after volatile anesthetic. Further, the use of a multifactorial approach using these predictors, may lead to a more rational and robust approach to successful awake extubation.