Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Aug 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of xenon-augmented sevoflurane anesthesia on intraoperative hemodynamics and early postoperative neurocognitive function in children undergoing cardiac catheterization: A randomized controlled pilot trial.
In adults, xenon has only minimal hemodynamic side effects when compared with other anesthetics. Moreover, in preclinical experiments, xenon has been demonstrated to possess cardio- and neuroprotective properties. Altogether, the favorable hemodynamic profile combined with its potential for organ-protection could render xenon an attractive option for anesthesia in children with cardiovascular compromise. ⋯ In this pilot trial, xenon-augmented sevoflurane anesthesia in school-aged children was feasible, and associated with decreased ephedrine requirements. All children exposed to anesthesia showed impaired neurocognitive performance in the immediate postoperative period when compared to control children; however, without significant differences between both treatment groups.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Aug 2018
ReviewCompliance with perioperative prophylaxis guidelines and the use of novel outcome measures.
Postoperative wound infections represent an important source of morbidity and mortality in children. Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis has been shown to decrease the risk of developing infections and hospital guidelines surrounding antibiotic use exist to standardize patient care. Despite supporting evidence, rates of compliance with guidelines vary. ⋯ Metrics such as days alive out of hospital and length of hospital stay may be useful alternatives for ongoing monitoring of infections and identifying improvements in patient outcomes. Guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis have facilitated an increase in the correct provision of perioperative antibiotics and a reduction in the incidence of postoperative infection. Measures of patient outcome such as days alive out of hospital and length of hospital stay are easy to collect and calculate but further work is needed to confirm the utility of these measures for monitoring infection rates.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Aug 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialDorsal penile nerve block for circumcision in pediatric patients: A prospective, observer-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial for the comparison of ultrasound-guided vs landmark technique.
Circumcision is a frequently performed procedure in day case pediatric surgery. Dorsal penile nerve block has proven its effectiveness for the management of acute postoperative pain after circumcision. We investigated if the ultrasound-guided placement of a dorsal penile nerve block could reduce opioid requirement as compared to a landmark-based technique. ⋯ Compared with the landmark-guided, the ultrasound-guided dorsal penile nerve block did not reduce the need for postoperative analgesia after circumcision in children, but was associated with an increase in the procedural time.