Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jun 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialAnalgesic effectiveness of acetaminophen for primary cleft palate repair in young children: a randomized placebo controlled trial.
Clefting of the lip, palate, or both is a common congenital abnormality. Inadequate treatment for pain in children may result from concerns over opioid-related adverse effects. Providing adequate pain control with minimal adverse effects remains challenging in children. ⋯ Intravenous acetaminophen given to young children undergoing primary cleft palate repair was associated with opioid-sparing effects compared to placebo. The fewer morphine doses during ward stay in both intravenous and oral may be important clinically in some settings.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jun 2014
ReviewCombined use of neuraxial and general anesthesia during major abdominal procedures in neonates and infants.
With the advent of ultrasound and improvements in equipment, the applications of regional anesthesia in the pediatric population have continued to expand. Although frequently used for postoperative analgesia or as a means of avoiding general anesthesia in patients with comorbid conditions, the adjunctive use of regional anesthesia during general anesthesia may effectively decrease the intraoperative requirements for intravenous and volatile agents, thereby providing a more rapid awakening and earlier tracheal extubation. ⋯ Several authors have demonstrated the potential utility of combining a neuraxial technique (spinal or epidural anesthesia) with general anesthesia in neonates and infants undergoing intraabdominal procedures. We review the literature regarding the combined use of neuraxial and general anesthesia in neonates and infants during major abdominal surgery, discuss its potential applications in this population, and review the techniques of such practice.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jun 2014
Case ReportsTransient abdominal wall deformity in an infant Blaming the caudal?
Locoregional anesthesia is an important aspect of perioperative analgesia. It decreases requirements for anesthetic agents and opioids, decreases the surgical stress response, and provides postoperative analgesia. Nonetheless, pediatric patients, especially infants, demonstrate specificities towards regional anesthesia techniques, as an increased sensitivity to local anesthetics (LA) and a higher ease of LA spread especially when using blocks that rely on the volume of LA and its spread as those used for abdominal wall analgesia or caudal. Thus, we present a case of transient abdominal wall deformity following caudal anesthesia in an infant.
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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.