Paediatric anaesthesia
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Dec 2022
ReviewPerioperative Pain Disparity in Children: A Call for Action.
Racial and ethnic disparities in both healthcare management and delivery have been extensively documented in medical literature. For example, patients from non-White minority backgrounds in the United States have been found to experience worse clinical outcomes after surgery, to receive fewer surgical procedures, and to experience worse perioperative pain management compared with patients from non-minority backgrounds. ⋯ Specifically, there is a need for randomized control trials and health services research studying pediatric perioperative pain disparities. A multidisciplinary systems-based approach would help translate findings from scientific research to clinical practice and is a crucial step to ensuring all children of diverse backgrounds receive optimal perioperative care.
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Dec 2022
ReviewEducational Review: Error Traps in Anesthesia for Pediatric Liver Transplantation.
Anesthetic and surgical techniques for the liver transplantation have progressed considerably over the past sixty years; however, this procedure is still fraught with substantial morbidity. To increase the safety culture associated with the liver transplantation, we detail nine error traps associated with anesthesia for pediatric liver transplantation. These potential pitfalls are divided into the operative phases: pre-operative preparation (Failure to have a dedicated anesthesia team for pediatric liver transplantation); pre-anhepatic (Failure to prepare for massive blood loss, Failure to monitor for coagulation abnormalities); anhepatic including reperfusion (Failure to prepare for clamping of the inferior vena cava, Failure to recognize metabolic changes, Failure to maintain homeostasis for reperfusion, Failure to prepare for Post-reperfusion syndrome); and post-anhepatic (Failure to optimize liver perfusion, Failure to maintain hemostatic balance). By offering practical advice on the preparation and treatment of these error traps, we aim to better prepare anesthesiologists to take care of pediatric patients undergoing the liver transplantation.
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Dec 2022
Comparison of General Endotracheal Anesthesia vs. Sedation without Endotracheal Intubation during Initial PEG Insertion for Infants: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Critical airway incidents are a major cause of morbidity and mortality during anesthesia. Delayed management of airway obstruction quickly leads to severe complications due to the reduced apnea tolerance in infants and neonates. The decision of whether to intubate the trachea during anesthesia is therefore of great importance, particularly as an increasing number of procedures are performed outside of the operating room. ⋯ Study results suggest that providers selected general anesthesia over monitored anesthesia care for infants and neonates with low body weights, cardiac comorbidities, and neurologic comorbidities. Increased rates of airway intervention, and increased length of stay may be at least partially related to more severe patient comorbidity, as indicated by higher American Society of Anesthesiologists classifications. However, due to the exploratory nature of these analyses, further confirmatory studies are needed to evaluate the impact of airway selection during PEG on postoperative patient outcomes.
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Dec 2022
A magnetic resonance imaging study of the sciatic nerve variation in the pediatric gluteal region: implications for the posterior approach of the sciatic nerve blockade.
In pediatric patients, the sciatic nerve is one of the most commonly blocked peripheral nerves during orthopedic procedures of the lower limb. Ultrasound guidance is the current standard for a successful localization of the sciatic nerve in the gluteal region. Relevant anatomical landmarks are also used to determine the nerve location when ultrasound is not available or inadequate. However, reports have demonstrated paucity of information regarding the sciatic nerve location and variation in the hip throughout pediatric development. This imaging study aimed to document and analyze the relative morphometric relationship of the sciatic nerve in the pediatric gluteal region throughout development. ⋯ Despite the small sample size of younger age group, this study is the first to document the morphometric changes of the sciatic nerve in the gluteal region across pediatric development and may be useful for providing confirmatory guidelines for nerve location when ultrasound is not accessible or cannot be utilized for practice.
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Dec 2022
Levobupivacaine plasma concentrations following repeat caudal anesthetics.
A single caudal anesthetic at the start of lower abdominal surgery is unlikely to provide prolonged analgesia. A second caudal at the end of the procedure extends the analgesia duration but total plasma concentrations may be associated with toxicity. Our aim was to measure total plasma levobupivacaine concentrations after repeat caudal anesthesia in infants and to generate a pharmacokinetic model for prediction of plasma concentrations after repeat caudal anesthesia in neonates, infants and children. ⋯ Repeat caudal levobupivacaine 2.5 mg kg-1 at 3 h after an initial 2.5 mg kg-1 dose does not exceed the concentration associated with systemic local anesthetic toxicity. In 2.5% of simulated neonates (weight 3.8 kg, PMA 40 weeks), repeat caudal anesthesia demonstrates broaching of the lower concentration limit associated with toxicity at both 3 and 4 h after initial caudal.