Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2001
Case ReportsLife threatening cardiopulmonary failure in an infant following protamine reversal of heparin after cardiopulmonary bypass.
Life threatening cardiopulmonary failure following protamine reversal of heparin after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was reported to occur in adults but rarely in children. Atrial septal defect closure was performed in a 6-week-old infant erroneously suspected to suffer from right atrial thrombosis in addition. ⋯ Inhaled nitric oxide, together with high frequency oscillation ventilation supplemented by intravenous prostacycline, enabled complete recovery of cardiopulmonary and neurological function. Life threatening cardiovascular compromise after intravenous protamine can occur even in young infants which then require challenging paediatric critical care.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2001
ReviewPerioperative care of children with nerve agent intoxication.
Nerve agents (NA) present a major threat to civilian populations. When a ballistic system is used for spreading poison, multiple trauma, as well as toxic trauma could be caused. Children are more susceptible, due to their smaller physiological reserve. ⋯ This review presents and emphasizes points concerning treatment of a child who suffers from combined multiple and toxic traumas. The review is based on scant knowledge of a database of similar cases of pesticide organophosphate poisoning in children since these compounds are alike. We also extrapolated data from reports concerning episodic civilian exposure to NA.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2001
Comparative StudyPostoperative behavioural changes in children: comparison between halothane and sevoflurane.
A questionnaire, modified from the posthospitalization behavioural questionnaire, was sent to all parents of children under 8 years of age who had elective surgery in the hospital of Lahr during the years 1997 and 1998. The parents were asked about long lasting changes (more than 1 week) in their child's behaviour after surgery. ⋯ We found that the children having sevoflurane anaesthesia were more likely to develop behavioural problems postoperatively than with halothane. The rate of postoperative behavioural changes was not influenced by the type of surgery, the sedative premedication used, the induction technique or the use of opioids or nonopioid pain therapy.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Nov 2001
Use of albumin, blood transfusion and intraoperative glucose by APA and ADARPEF members: a postal survey.
A postal survey was mailed to the members of Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (APA) (n=187) and French-Language Society of Paediatric Anaesthesiologists (ADARPEF) (n=220) to primarily investigate the impact of a recently published Cochrane report on the clinical use of albumin solutions in paediatric anaesthetic practice. At the same time, information regarding blood transfusion strategies and the use of intraoperative glucose containing maintenance solutions was gathered. ⋯ The response rate of the survey was 38% and 25% for APA and ADARPEF members, respectively. Forty-one percent of APA members reported a reduced use of albumin containing solutions following the publication of the Cochrane report compared to eight percent in the ADARPEF group (P < 0.0001). Albumin continues to be the most frequently used plasma expander in premature babies and neonates, whereas many colleagues use alternative colloids in infants and older children. A clear difference was observed in the 1-12-year-old age group between APA members favouring the use of gelatines and ADARPEF members who instead frequently use hetastarch solutions. ADARPEF members appeared to have a slightly more restrictive attitude towards blood transfusion and also reported more widespread use of erythropoetin (56% versus 9%, P < 0.0001) and predilution techniques (40% versus 23%, P < 0.04) compared with APA members. Regarding intraoperative maintenance solutions, a large proportion of both APA and ADARPEF members still use high concentrations of glucose intraoperatively, even in older children.
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Caffeine, which has a wide range between therapeutic and toxic levels, is a widely used medication for prevention and treatment of apnoea of prematurity. Despite its safety, caffeine overdose and intoxication has been previously reported in the literature. ⋯ No seizure activity was observed. The effects of intoxication lasted for 96 h and then completely resolved.