Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jun 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialProlonged perioperative infusion of low-dose ketamine does not alter opioid use after pediatric scoliosis surgery.
Opioid consumption after posterior spinal fusion is known to be high and often exceeds those reported in other major surgical procedures. A number of clinical trials provide evidence that the perioperative use of subanesthetic doses of ketamine reduces pain and opioid requirements in some surgical procedures, but the effect of prolonged perioperative low-dose ketamine infusion in patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion for pediatric scoliosis surgery is unknown. ⋯ These findings do not support the use of perioperative low-dose ketamine to decrease opioid use in children with scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jun 2014
Procedure-related pain in children in a Danish University Hospital. A qualitative study.
Children being cared for in hospital often undergo multiple diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Procedure-related pain, anxiety, and distress may consequently place a significant burden on the children. Although standards for pain management exist, procedure-related pain remains inadequately treated. ⋯ Most children experienced mild pain during procedures. The children's positioning during the procedure and prior experience with the procedure seem to influence their experience of procedural pain and it is therefore essential that therapy is tailored for each child and includes a multimodal approach.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jun 2014
The pharmacokinetics of methadone and its metabolites in neonates, infants, and children.
The lack of methadone pharmacokinetic data in children and neonates restrains dosing to achieve the target concentration in these populations. A minimum effective analgesic concentration of methadone in opioid naïve adults is 0.058 mg·l(-1) , while no withdrawal symptoms were observed in neonates suffering opioid withdrawal if plasma concentrations of methadone were above 0.06 mg·l(-1) . The racemate of methadone which is commonly used in pediatric and anesthetic care is metabolized to 2-ethylidine-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) and 2-ethyl-5-methyl-3,3-diphenylpyrroline (EMDP). ⋯ Current pharmacokinetic parameter estimates in children and neonates are similar to those reported in adults. There was no clearance maturation with age. Neonatal enantiomer clearances were similar to those described in adults. A regimen of 0.2 mg·kg(-1) per 8 h in neonates achieves a target concentration of 0.06 mg·l(-1) within 36 h. Infusion, rather than intermittent dosing, should be considered if this target is to be achieved in older children after cardiac surgery.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jun 2014
Comparative StudyComparison of regional vs systemic analgesia for post-thoracotomy care in infants.
In infants, post-thoracotomy analgesia traditionally consists of systemic opiates, while regional techniques have gained more favor in recent years. We compare the two techniques for thoracotomy in infants. ⋯ In infants undergoing thoracotomy, loco-regional analgesia is effective and associated with a reduced intensity of postoperative care and earlier full feeding than systemic analgesia; it should therefore be considered a better option.