Paediatric anaesthesia
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The perioperative management of a 14-year-old girl, suffering from the muscular disorder rigid spine syndrome, is presented. The anaesthetic implications with regard to possible difficult intubation, cardiac involvement, malignant hyperthermia, neuromuscular blocking agents, and postoperative recovery are discussed.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jan 1999
Case ReportsManagement of difficult airways with a laryngeal mask airway under propofol anaesthesia.
We report four cases of difficult airway managed with a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) under propofol anaesthesia; this method was chosen to minimize psychological and physical trauma. Case 1 was a boy with dermatomyositis; Case 2, a girl wearing a base ring of a stereotactic frame; Case 3, a boy with Treacher-Collins syndrome; Case 4, a boy with Goldenhar syndrome. They were anaesthesized with propofol and though spontaneous ventilation became shallower, or apnoea occurred, the stimulus of inserting an LMA awakened the patient and caused more active spontaneous ventilation while a patent airway was established by the LMA. All tracheal intubations were performed smoothly and without delay through the LMA, and we believe that psychological and physical trauma was thus minimized.
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We report a case of severe accidental hypothermia (24.8 degrees C) in a seven-year-old child due to prolonged exposure to low temperatures and temporary contact with river water. When the patient was seen in hospital, bradycardia (30.min-1), bradypnoea (5. min-1), scarcely reacting pupils, and Glasgow Coma Scale=3 were noted. For rewarming minimally invasive techniques (humidified warmed gases and intravenous solutions at 40 degrees C) were employed with a very successful outcome.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jan 1999
Position of the internal jugular vein in children. A study of the anatomy using ultrasonography.
The relative anatomy of the internal jugular vein (IJV) was studied in 25 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization under general anaesthesia, with the use of a portable ultrasound probe. In 14 of cases the IJV was anterior, 1 anterolateral and in 10 lateral to the carotid artery between the two heads of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. ⋯ When attempting to cannulate the IJV, because of the variability in relationship of the IJV to CA the technique used should be modified depending upon the level at which cannulation is attempted. The position of the IJV in the child appears to be so variable extra care should be taken when cannulating the IJV and it should not be assumed that the techniques used in adults are directly transferable.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jan 1999
Clinical TrialPostoperative extradural infusions in children: preliminary data from a comparison of bupivacaine/diamorphine with plain ropivacaine.
To try to decrease the incidence of side-effects associated with postoperative extradural infusions of local anaesthetics in combination with opioids, we have used plain ropivacaine solutions in 200 children. The first 72 children received an infusion of bupivacaine 0.125% + diamorphine 20 microg x ml-1, then 200 children received plain ropivacaine solutions. The children who received ropivacaine were found to have lower incidences of nausea, pruritus, urinary retention, and were less sedated, despite comparable analgesia. The management of plain ropivacaine for extradural analgesia is discussed.