Paediatric anaesthesia
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Checklists have established themselves as a key safety process in the operating room environment. This paper describes the background and context of how checklists have evolved in medicine. It also highlights ongoing challenges with particular attention to the importance of nontechnical skills or human factors training with relation to checklist design, testing and implementation and ongoing coaching.
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Pediatric anesthesia is no longer a small subspecialty, but an important sector where developments in the new century have brought effective and safe management to children in the perioperative period. Unfortunately, what is common daily practice in the high-income countries with all the guidelines, checklists, instruments, and dedicated pediatric anesthesiologists is often only a dream in the low- and middle-income countries where the basic anesthesia services for improving the high rate of morbidity and mortality still are lacking. ⋯ Other projects such as the Lifebox Project have a similar aim. This paper outlines some of what organizations are doing around the world, with different strategies all having the same target: safe pediatric anesthesia.
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In pediatric patients vascular access is often more difficult than in adults because of the smaller size of the vessels and the inability of the patient to cooperate without deep sedation or general anesthesia. Therefore Ultrasound has already become an invaluable tool for vascular access, but the full potential of ultrasound has yet to be fully realized. Improvements in image quality and a better understanding of optimal insertion techniques continue to help clinicians safely and efficiently place catheters with fewer complications. ⋯ The use of 'real-time' ultrasound has been shown to increase first insertion success, reduce access time, have a higher overall success, and reduce arterial puncture. As the technology continues to improve the use of ultrasound will become as ubiquitous as the lines themselves.
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This article reviews potential pediatric applications of 3 new technologies. (1) Pulse oximetry-based hemoglobin determination: Hemoglobin determination using spectrophotometric methods recently has been introduced in adults with varied success. This non-invasive and continuous technology may avoid venipuncture and unnecessary transfusion in children undergoing surgery with major blood loss, premature infants undergoing unexpected and complicated emergency surgery, and children with chronic illness. (2) Continuous cardiac output monitoring: In adults, advanced hemodynamic monitoring such as continuous cardiac output monitoring has been associated with better surgical outcomes. ⋯ It may be important to integrate the data about cardiac output with other information to facilitate therapeutic interventions. (3) Anesthesia information management systems: Although perioperative electronic anesthesia information management systems are gaining popularity in operating rooms, their potential functions may not be fully appreciated. With advances in information technology, anesthesia information management systems may facilitate bedside clinical decisions, administrative needs, and research in the perioperative setting.