Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Oct 2012
Review Meta AnalysisPediatric anesthesia and neurodevelopmental impairments: a Bayesian meta-analysis.
Experimental evidence of anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity has caused serious concern about the long-term effect of commonly used volatile anesthetic agents on young children. Several observational studies based on existing data have been conducted to address this concern with inconsistent results. We conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize the epidemiologic evidence on the association of anesthesia/surgery with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. ⋯ The most likely adjusted OR from a future study was estimated to be 1.5 (95% CrI, 0.5-4.0). We conclude that existent epidemiologic evidence suggests a modestly elevated risk of adverse behavioral or developmental outcomes in children who were exposed to anesthesia/surgery during early childhood. The evidence, however, is considerably uncertain.
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Despite the fact that it has been used since the 1960s in diseases associated with brain edema and has been investigated in >150 publications on head injury, very little has been published on the outcome of osmotherapy. We can only speculate whether osmotherapy improves outcome, has no effect on outcome, or leads to worse outcome. Here we describe the action and potentially beneficial and adverse effects of the 2 most commonly used osmotic solutions, mannitol and hypertonic saline, and present some critical aspects of their use. ⋯ These drawbacks, and the fact that the most recent Cochrane meta-analyses of osmotherapy in brain edema and stroke could not find any beneficial effects on outcome, make routine use of osmotherapy in brain edema doubtful. Nevertheless, the use of osmotherapy as a temporary measure may be justified to acutely prevent brain stem compression until other measures, such as evacuation of space-occupying lesions or decompressive craniotomy, can be performed. This article is the Con part in a Pro-Con debate in the present journal on the general routine use of osmotherapy in brain edema.
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Oct 2012
ReviewElective procedures and anesthesia in children: pediatric surgeons enter the dialogue on neurotoxicity questions, surgical options, and parental concerns.
The Pediatric Anesthesia NeuroDevelopment Assessment research group at Columbia University Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology has conducted biannual national Symposia since 2008 to evaluate study data and invigorate continued thinking about unresolved issues of pediatric anesthesia neurotoxicities. The third Symposium extended the dialogue between pediatric anesthesiologists and surgeons in panel presentations and discussions by four surgical specialists. This paper reports the prevailing opinions expressed by a pediatric general surgeon, urologist, plastic surgeon and ophthalmologist and explores factors related to delayed operative intervention, need for multiple procedures, and parental concerns.