Paediatric anaesthesia
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Jan 1996
Comparative StudyRecovery of psychomotor function following general anaesthesia in children: a comparison of propofol and thiopentone/halothane.
The present study was undertaken to compare immediate recovery and recovery of complex psychomotor function in 20 children (aged 6-12 years) following general anaesthesia with either thiopentone/halothane or propofol. Early recovery of psychomotor skills was significantly faster in the propofol group than in the thiopentone/halothane group. ⋯ The results indicate that the recovery of psychomotor function in paediatric patients following general anaesthesia with propofol is significantly faster than with thiopentone/halothane. This has important implications for parental satisfaction, the time over which patients need to be monitored in the recovery room and for the discharge criteria after daycase surgery.
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Jan 1996
Case ReportsRegurgitation and aspiration of gastric contents in a child during general anaesthesia using the laryngeal mask airway.
We present a case report of a child who underwent general anaesthesia for elective surgery in whom regurgitation and aspiration of gastric contents were associated with the use of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Bronchospasm developed but mechanical ventilation was not required. The possible mechanisms causing regurgitation are discussed.
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Jan 1996
Case ReportsRespiratory depression following administration of low dose buprenorphine as postoperative analgesic after fentanyl balanced anaesthesia.
Opioids are among the most ancient and widely used drugs in anaesthesiology. The pharmacology of opioid analgesics and their receptors is a complex and not fully understood matter; even more complex are the interactions between different classes of opioids at both molecular and clinical levels. ⋯ This paper contains a clinical observation of respiratory depression following the administration of buprenorphine as postoperative analgesic after balanced anaesthesia with fentanyl. The observed case is interpreted in the light of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the different classes of opioid drugs (agonists, agonists-antagonists, antagonists) and of the interactions with their respective receptors.
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Jan 1996
Patient controlled analgesia (PCA) in paediatric surgery: a prospective study following laparoscopic and open appendicectomy.
Patient controlled analgesia (PCA) has not yet gained universal acceptance for the management of postoperative pain in paediatric surgery. In a prospective study we evaluated feasibility and complications of PCA following 90 cases of laparoscopic or open appendicectomy. ⋯ Assessment of application protocols showed, that the consumption of analgesics was significantly reduced following laparoscopic appendicectomy (P < 0.05). PCA is a safe and feasible method for the management of postoperative pain in children and PCA recording provides an excellent insight into the consumptional behaviour of patients, enabling staff to evaluate postoperative pain for various procedures.