Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Oct 2015
ReviewPharmacodynamic interaction models in pediatric anesthesia.
Pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) models are important tools for summarizing drug dose, concentration, and effect relationships. Co-administration of drugs may alter PK and PD relationships. Traditional methods of evaluating PD interactions include using isoboles, shifts in dose-response curves, or interaction indices based on parameters of potency derived from separate monotherapy and combination therapy analyses. ⋯ The purpose of this article was to provide a general road map for understanding and interpreting PD interaction models, including the 'response surface' models. Several types of response surface models exist, and here we review these with examples taken from the literature. We also consider current and future applications for this type of analysis for clinical anesthesia and pediatrics.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Oct 2015
The nature and sources of variability in pediatric surgical case duration.
Case time variability confounds surgical scheduling and decreases access to limited operating room resources. Variability arises from many sources and can differ among institutions serving different populations. A rich literature has developed around case time variability in adults, but little in pediatrics. ⋯ Pediatric case time variability, unlike adult cases, is poorly explained by surgeon effect or other characteristics that are commonly abstracted from electronic records. This largely relates to the 'long-tailed' distribution of pediatric cases and unpredictably long cases. Surgeon-specific scheduling is therefore unnecessary and similar cases may be pooled across surgeons. Future scheduling efforts in pediatrics should focus on prospective identification of patient and procedural specifics that are associated with and predictive of long cases. Until such predictors are identified, daily management of pediatric operating rooms will require compensatory overtime, capacity buffers, schedule flexibility, and cost.
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Fast-track recovery processes are implemented for pediatric day case surgery. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate postoperative comfort and parental satisfaction of children included in this process to improve quality of care. ⋯ Optimal pain management, better parental information about risks of postoperative behavior disturbances, and program integrating parent and child preparation should improve quality of care and global satisfaction in the fast-track recovery process.